


Survivors Guilt

by bigk4062



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Child Abuse, F/M, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Survivors Guilt, Various Triggers for abuse, pegasus is a jerk but we all knew that, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2018-12-25 05:29:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12029157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigk4062/pseuds/bigk4062
Summary: Being the cause of your parent's deaths can be traumatizing enough.  Watching your brother suffer at the hands of your stepfather is even worse, but being tormented by your families various enemies can break even the strongest souls.  A post-series look at Mokuba trying to heal after everything he went through as an easy target.  Contains child abuse and yaoi, please be advised.





	1. Prequel-Duelist Kingdom

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: While re-watching the series to get ideas for Aftermath, I realized all the horrible things that happened to everyone on this show. How none of them ended up in a mental hospital is beyond me. This was inspired by a story I read about the gang going into a haunted house and Mokuba having a panic attack. If anyone happens to know the fic I am talking about please let me know so I can give proper credit. This chapter is pretty short, but I've been sitting on it for a week without needed to add to it so enjoy.

Black hands reached for him, covered in gloves meant to protect the wearer from injury. They wrapped around his throat and squeezed it tight, forcing the air out of his lungs and stopping him from screaming. His vision blurred, a throbbing starting in his head as he began to feel faint. Mercifully, the hand disappeared, and Mokuba fell to his knees as he attempted to catch his breath. A flash of silver appeared in his line of vision, Pegasus's face hovering over him.  
“Now then Mokuba, are you going to behave? Or should I have Croquet try to strangle you again?” Mokuba shook his quickly head, still trying to catch his breath.  
“Good. Now, I tried to be friendly with you, but you have pushed my patience to its very end. Croquet, throw him in the dungeon until Kaiba-boy shows up.”  
Mokuba felt an arm grab him, yanking him off the floor with ease. Mokuba closed his eyes, pleading to whoever may be listening.  
“Yugi, Joey, someone, please help me. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I'm sorry for stealing your star chips, for threatening you, and for helping my brother kidnap your grandfather. Please, find me, help me, I beg you.”  
Mokuba felt tears sliding down his cheeks, his mind begging someone to come and save him over and over again. He had tuned out Pegasus and Croquet discussing his fate, until Pegasus's voice finally cut through his thoughts.  
“Oh, and Croquet? Have Kemo track him in case he gets loose again. I don't want anyone to get confused on who he belongs too.” “Yes Master Pegasus.”  
Croquet bowed, still holding a dangling Mokuba. The young boy started kicking wildly, hoping to stop whatever the bodyguard was going to do to him. Croquet ignored him, marching through the castle in search of Kemo. He finally found the younger man in the library.  
He plopped Mokuba down, and when the young boy made to run, he placed his hand on Mokuba's throat, not squeezing but using the memory of what had happened to keep the young boy in place. Grey eyes looked back and forth between the two men, wondering what was going to happen next. Kemo was staring into the fire, poking at the embers with his stick.  
After a moment, he turned towards them, showing Mokuba the white hot poker with a picture of the Millennium Eye on it. Without hesitation, Croquet pulled down Mokuba's shorts and Kemo pressed the poker down on the boy's hip, ignoring the child as he screamed out his brother's name to come save him, then screeched in pain and passed out.  
“Too bad Kaiba wasn't here to protect him, so much for brotherly love huh?”  
Kemo comment, and Croquet just smiled.


	2. Nightmares and Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dealing with Mokuba's demons is causing a rift, with Joey left to pick up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just love when you're writing a fic and another idea shows up. Enjoy this first chapter, but don't expect anymore quick updates until Aftermath is finished.

Mokuba shot up in his bed, screaming his head off. Without a second thought, he tore out of his room, running towards his big brother's room. Opening up the door, he jumped on the bed, burying himself in the bundle of blankets. Blond hair got in his eyes, and he pulled away, looking down at Joey with wide eyes.  
“Where is Seto?”  
He asked, hiccuping as he tried to calm himself down. Joey's arms went around the smaller boy, pulling him close. Rocking back and forth with his boyfriend's brother, Joey kissed the top of the boy's head, hoping to calm him down. Mokuba continued to sob, clinging to Joey as he blubbered about his newest nightmare. Joey muttered in low tones, glancing over at the clock to check the time.  
After what seemed like hours, Mokuba calmed down enough to let go of Joey, leaning back against the pillows, wiping his tears away. Joey squeezed his hand, heading into the bathroom for a glass of water and some melatonin.  
Mokuba's therapist had recommended it, telling Kaiba that his brother was too young for most sleeping pills, and the melatonin would help with his nightmares when used correctly. It was before midnight, so he was in the clear for Mokuba to get a good night's sleep.  
Walking back in the bedroom, he handed Mokuba the pill and a glass of water, letting him take them while he wrote down in Mokuba's journal the time and what had happened- another suggestion by the therapist was writing down what behavior had occurred, and what they had done during the day that may have triggered it.  
The journals were turned in every week, and their weekly sessions were full of suggestions of how to approach these triggers better next time. Several suggestions seemed to help, and Mokuba's nightmares had slowed down a bit, going from several every night to one major one.  
Joey placed the journal down, figuring tomorrow he would talk to Mokuba to find out what had happened to trigger tonights episode. Right now Mokuba needed help, and since Kaiba was once again stuck at work, it was up to Joey to support the boy.  
Laying back down on the bed, he pulled Mokuba over, allowing him to snuggled up to the blond. Slowly, Mokuba's eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep. Joey looked back at the clock, sending out a silent prayer to Kaiba that he come home soon before he drifted off with Mokuba.

*********************************************

While all this was happening at home, Kaiba was sitting at his desk at work, staring vacantly at the computer screen. All of his emails had been answered and he could have been home hours ago, spending time with his brother and boyfriend.  
Instead, he had stayed, lying to both of them about a project that needed to be done so he wouldn't be bothered. The couch would serve as his bed for the night, and he would catch up with Joey tomorrow at school.  
Right now, he just needed a break from dealing with Mokuba, especially after todays session with the therapist. The months of bouncing around to all the high end specialists he could find was taking its toll on both of the brothers.  
Kaiba closed his laptop, leaning back in his chair as his phone beeped. It was his night time crew, informing him of Mokuba's nightmare, and that the younger boy was being cared for by Joey. Kaiba closed his eyes, knowing that tomorrow was going to turn into a very long fight over Mokuba's treatment.  
Kaiba treated therapy like he treated magic and his past, rolling his eyes at most of it. However, Joey believed in the treatments, and more than made up for Kaiba's scoffing. Watching Joey help his brother caused Kaiba to rethink his opinions, and he began approaching his brothers treatment with the same cold efficiency as he did everything else  
He wrote up time lines and dead lines that needed to be met, and frowned when most of them went by with no noticeable changes.  
His baby brother being broken was not acceptable, and Kaiba was willing to do just about anything to help him. He loved his brother to death, the raven-haired boy was his reason for getting up in the morning through all the abuse he had suffered, but he couldn't deal with the nightmares.  
Every time Mokuba buried his face in Kaiba's arms, it reminded him how he had failed at protecting the younger boy, as his brother and his guardian. Gozaburo, Pegasus, Marik, Bakura, even Yami had used the young boy to take a piece of Kaiba.  
Shaking his head, he tried to forget the memories of his not so distant past. He stood up, shedding his coat as he approached the couch. Grabbing a blanket, he settled down on his make-shift bed, closing his eyes and drifting quickly off to sleep. 

*********************************

_Mokuba's injuries brought back so many memories of the pain and torture Kaiba had suffered at the hands of his step father, and he found himself unable to deal with Mokuba. Finally, Mokuba's school had stepped in, unable to deal with Mokuba's mood changes and violent outbursts. The first one had been a waste of time, situated in the nicest part of town where prestege was more important than getting help._  
_After a few sessions, they had left to find Joey, walking down the streets towards Yugi's. Joey hadn't made a comment about where they had come out of, instead joking around with Mokuba who had ran to him laughing. Kaiba watched the two pal around, enjoying his brother smiling again.Impulsively, he invited Joey over for dinner,. He knew that Joey had recently moved into Yugi's house, leaving behind his abusive father. He also knew that Yugi's Grandfather could probably use a break from the blond, and he was happy to provide it so his brother could smile again._  
_Joey accepted quickly, eating a full meal then going back for seconds. The two boys played games while Kaiba worked, and Joey made a point to say good bye to him before he left. The next few weeks had Joey coming over regularly, often with some game that had come into the shop, or with some member of his squad to play with Mokuba.Kaiba had hoped that surrounding himself with the geek squad would have helped, but all it seemed to do was cause Mokuba to ask for them while he was screaming in terror. At the end of his rope, Kaiba had left Roland in charge of Mokuba while he drove to the Game Shop, sitting down with his former enemies and pouring out his heart while he wrapped his hands around the offered cup of tea._  
_Solomon closed his eyes, the pain of knowing a child was hurting causing his heart to pound faster. Yami, freshly returned from Egypt with his own body, offered up what was left of his shadow magic to try to cleanse Mokuba's soul, while Yugi simply buried his face in his hands and cried. Joey's reaction had changed everything._  
_Getting up, he stood before Kaiba, placing his hands on the older boys shoulders as blue eyes met honey. Kaiba broke, tears leaking out his eyes as he tore his gaze away. Watching him cry was a agonizing experience, like waiting for water to start leaking from a hole in a dam._  
_The face didn't change, it was just Kaiba with water running down his cheeks. Then it broke, and he was Seto, a little boy who had lost his parents and was thrown into an orphanage by those who had promised to protect them. This little boy had protected his brother from bullies, his fists convincing others that Mokie was not one to be messed with. Now there were other bullies, born out of the darkness that had threatened to destroy the world, and fists would not save the younger boy._  
_Seto was helpless by himself, he had no other options except those in front of him, taking advantage of their kindness to help his brother. Finally, the tears slowed, and he locked eyes with Joey once more before slipping on his mask to become Kaiba again._  
_Joey placed his hand over Kaiba's, promising to help where he could. Yugi was next, practically jumping over himself to offer his help. Yami was next, pledging his support to his cousin. Solomon sat there, looking over the young man who years ago had torn his Blue Eyes card and almost killed him during a game. His hand came last, harden purple meeting blue, and Kaiba had to stop himself from crying again._  
_He instead bowed his head, thanking them all without words. After a few minutes he stood up, grabbing his bag and placing it on the table. He had been away from Mokuba for long enough, it was time to go back and give his bodyguard a rest. He nodded to the three boys, turning towards Solomon and bowing low in a sign of respect. Kaiba then left, leaving the four to sit and wonder over everything they had been told._

_____ _

 

**********************************************

Sleep makes time past too quickly, and soon it was 5:30, and alarms began buzzing all over town. Yugi's fell to the floor, and he crawled out from his lovers arms, kissing the former Pharaoh before heading towards the bathroom. Kaiba fell off the couch, having reached for his blond lover before remembering where he was.  
Said blond woke up to a sleeping Mokuba, slipping out of the childs tight embrace before padding over to the door to let Roland in. The bodyguard was the only one Mokuba would accept as a substitute for his brother and Joey, which had caused some friction with the other guards.  
Right now though, Joey needed to get to school, and Mokuba needed another hour before he could be roused. Roland sat on a chair in the room, ready to help if Mokuba needed him. Joey quickly made it through his morning routine, knowing he would need to help get the younger one ready.  
His phone buzzed, and he saw several texts from Kaiba wanting to know how things were going They went ignored, Joey not wanting to get into a fight with his boyfriend so early in the morning. Instead he focused on Mokuba, getting him up and out the door to school, making it to his own home room only seconds before the bell rang, sliding into his seat as the teacher turned to make role call, refusing to meet the gaze of everyone as he closed his tired eyes and rested.


	3. Losing Mokuba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mokuba's flashback's continue, and his school refuses to turn a blind eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just want to warn everyone that this chapter does contain a rather uncomfortable scene between Pegasus and Mokuba... If you are uncomfortable with child abuse please be warned, I sectioned off the part with *** but you can also read a censored version at fanfiction.net. Same penname, same story name.

Kaiba strolled into school, swiftly moving down the halls to enter the class room. Joey hadn't answered any of his texts, and the CEO was becoming very agitated. He should have gone home last night, but it was too late to change things now.   
He sat down, opening his lap top to scroll through a few emails before class started. Yugi was the first one of the gang to enter the room, nodding at the brunet as he took a seat. Yami was right next to him,   
casually holding Yugi's hand while he talked to one of their other classmates.   
The rest of the class started to filter in, not wanting to be late and risk the wrath of their homeroom teacher. Kaiba continued to type, but he was starting to get concerned on where Joey was. Suddenly, the blond was there, collapsing into a chair as the bell began to ring. He refused to met anybody's eyes, instead hunkering down in his chair as the homeroom teacher took attendance.   
Kaiba spent the whole period trying in vain to catch his eye, but Joey was nothing if not skilled in avoidance. The rest of the morning was more of the same, and by the end of second period everyone knew there was something going on between the two former enemies.   
Scraps of paper were beginning to float up and down the aisles, everyone betting on when and where the fight was going to happen. It had been a long time since the two boys had butted heads, and the peace between the two had caused school to become long and drawn out.   
The lunch bell rang, and the classroom emptied, leaving only the gang and Kaiba inside. Yugi exchanged looks with Yami, before getting up and approaching Joey.   
“Come on Joey, let's go to lunch. I'll even buy you an ice cream cone afterwards!”   
He suggested, smiling brightly at his best friend. Joey nodded, gathering his books and leaving the room silently, trailing behind the rest of his friends without a backwards glance at Kaiba.   
After eating, they all sat outside, enjoying the sun shine after a week of rain. Tristan leaned against oak tree in the school yard, Duke snuggled up next to him. Ryou was sitting next to Tea, attempting to flirt with the girl with little success. Yami and Joey were dueling against Bakura and Yugi, trying to distract the white haired spirit while his lighter half ignored him.   
Kaiba sat on a bench, typing away furiously while he debated what to do. Finally, he put away the lap top, stood up and dusted himself off. Checking to make sure his coat was properly flaring, he approached his boyfriend, looking over the cards in the blonds hand.   
“You really need to let me help you update your deck pup. You've been using the same cards since Duelist Kingdom and its too easy to come up with a strategy for them.”   
He commented, hoping to get a rise out of his boyfriend. Joey ignored him, instead playing Time Wizard to age up his baby dragon, taking down Yugi's Big Shield Gardna by aging it, causing the shield to rot away and the monster to be exposed. He then raised an eyebrow at Kaiba as if to make some sort of point. Kaiba frowned, knowing that he wouldn't be able to talk to Joey if the rest of the gang was near-by.   
“Can you guys finish this duel later? I need to talk to you about Mokuba.”   
The other three were about to agree when Joey shushed them all with a look.   
“We could have talked about Mokuba last night at your house, but you decided not to be there.”   
Joey responded, then looked over at Bakura.   
“It's your move.”   
“That's not fair Joey, you know what my work schedule is like! That's why I asked you to stay over a few nights a week, so Mokuba wouldn't have to be alone when I have to work late. We've discussed this before!”   
Kaiba snapped, irritated that Joey was acting like this.   
“I understand your work schedule Kaiba. What I don't understand is why work always seems to pop up after Mokuba has a session with his therapist. You know how rough those nights are, and yet the last few weeks every time you end up back at the office while I have to deal with your brother.”   
Joey commented calmly, wincing as Bakura sent his Thousand Dragon to the graveyard. Kaiba grabbed Joey by his green jacket, intending to shake the blond until he took back what he just said. “My brother is not something that gets dealt with mutt. He's having a really rough time of it and he just needs to snap out of it! Stop talking about him like he's broken, he's just a kid!”   
Yami got up then, placing a hand on Kaiba's arm to try to push him off Joey.   
“Kaiba, please, this is not helping the situation at all. You know we all care very much about your brother, and we all want to help him.”   
“Stay out of this Pharaoh, it's your fault that he's like this at all! If you hadn't done your stupid mind tricks on me, I never would have left Mokuba alone, and Pegasus would have never had the chance to touch him.”  
Kaiba shoved Yami away, dropping Joey to the ground in the process.   
“That's uncalled for Kaiba! Yami was just trying to help you get back in touch with your old self! Besides, you started all of this by kidnapping my grandfather and causing him to almost have a heart attack. If anyone is to blame it's you and your selfish attitude!”   
Yugi shouted, fueled by the devastated look on his best friends face. Without thinking Kaiba lashed out, swinging at the shorter duelist in an attempt to take him out. Joey stopped him, throwing his face in the way of Kaiba's fist to keep Yugi from getting hurt. The two boys looked at each other, months of stress and worry showing on their faces.   
Yami wrapped his arms around Kaiba, trying to calm the brunet down but it wasn't working. Joey jumped him, knocking Kaiba to the ground before punching him in the face, which Kaiba gladly retaliated. They started to roll around, swinging back and forth at each other, not letting anyone get   
close enough to separate them. Tristan jumped in, dodging Joey's upper cut to help pin down Kaiba. “Kaiba! Your phone is ringing, it's Mokuba's school they need you there now!”   
Kaiba's face paled, the color disappearing so fast that Tristan thought he was going to past out. He immediately stood up, offering a hand to help Kaiba up off the floor. As soon as the young CEO was up, he took off, Joey right on his tail as they both ran to the car.   
Kaiba unlocked the doors, opening the drivers side while Joey slid across the hood to jump in the passengers. The car took off, not caring about speed limits or other drivers in its mad dash to get to Mokuba. 

***********

Mokuba woke up in a cold sweat, shackled to the wall in a cold, damp part of the dungeon. He couldn't move, his arms and legs so numb that he felt like he was floating. The only part of his body he could feel was his hip, where the hot stinging mess of a tattoo was throbbing.   
Mokuba shook his head, remembering what had just been done to him. It wasn't a tattoo, it was a brand. Like Mokuba was a cow or a horse and the owner wanted to make him so no one could claim his body.   
“Hello Mokuba. I take it you are enjoying your new room?”   
Pegasus appeared then, smiling at the small boy, his golden eyeball gleaming.   
“It really is a shame, if you would have been better I was going to let you out of that tower so we could play a little game together.”   
Pegasus held up a box, which had a picture of his favorite cartoon character on it.   
“Funny Bunny memory! I just love this game, and Croquet never wants to play it with me. I thought you'd enjoy it, but I guess not. I can't go around rewarding you for your bad behavior now can I?”   
Pegasus laughed, enjoying to no end the way Mokuba squirmed around, looking for somewhere that he could escape  
. “Oh young Kaiba, watching you grow up from that scared little baby to a scared little boy has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.”   
Pegasus clapped his hands, and two bodyguards appeared, one carrying a rocking chair, the other a bowl and a glass of wine. Pegasus lowered himself gracefully into the chair, accepting the bowl and wine with a smile and a wink at his guards.   
They both left, and Pegasus relaxing, sipping on his wine while he picked at what turned out to be popcorn. Footsteps were heard down the hall, aggressive sounds bouncing off the walls causing Mokuba's eyes to grow bigger.   
He stared at Pegasus, watching as the man continued to pick food out of his bowl, not worried about what was approaching. Finally, the steps stopped, and Mokuba looked up to see a man, wearing a white ski mask staring at him.   
He was carrying a folding chair and some keys, which he used to open up Mokuba's cell door. Placing the chair down, he reached for the boy, pulling him into a standing position before pulling down his shorts.   
Mokuba closed his eyes, ashamed to be exposed for the second time in a day. He barely felt the sting of the antiseptic that was placed on his hip, the mans hands feeling the area for any signs of infection. A bandage was placed over the wound, taped tightly to him to help with the healing. He sighed as his pants were pulled back up, relieved that was over.   
“Now that we've checked you out Mokuba, it's time for your punishment. Since you want to act like a rebellious teenager, I've decided to treat you like one.”   
Pegasus told him, smiling as he sat back yet again in his chair. 

 

********

 

The man who had bandaged Mokuba pulled him down over his lap, not even giving him a chance to adjust when he started to methodically whip Mokuba on the legs with his belt. The first few times he was hit Mokuba called out his brother's name, causing Pegasus to giggle.   
The crazy billionaire was still munching on popcorn, counting out the number of times Mokuba was hit. Finally he hit 12 and the hitting stopped, leaving Mokuba sobbing on the strangers lap. Once again, his pants were pulled down and his wounds attended too, only this time he was unshackled and placed on Pegasus's lap.   
Pegasus began to run his hands up and down the boy's body, whispering soothing things to him much like a father comforting his son. When Mokuba calmed down a little, he pushed against Pegasus, crying out for his brother again.   
He was immediately grabbed and whipped again, Pegasus calling out the hits until they reached 12 again. Mokuba was still crying, trying to hid his tears from the two men. Pegasus was obviously enjoying himself, rubbing himself through his pant suit in time with each hit. By the time the second whipping was done he was fully erect, sliding down his pants so Mokuba could see.   
“Now young Kaiba, how about you be a good boy for me... unless you want to come sit on my lap?”   
Pegasus slurred, the wine starting to get to him. Mokuba shook his head, wide-eyed and begging silently to whoever would listen that Pegasus wouldn't do what he was thinking. The older man winked, still stroking himself.   
“Don't worry child, I wouldn't dream of taking your innocence just as long as you behave yourself from now on.”   
Mokuba nodded quickly, willing to say anything to get out of there. Pegasus smiled, giving himself a few hard yanks as he spilled out over his suit, frowning at the mess. He reached for a handkerchief and cleaned up, smiling brightly at the young boy all the time.

 

*******

 

After Mokuba was safely put back in his cage, Pegasus stood there smiling down on him.   
“Don't worry young Mokuba, one day you'll forget about that brother of yours and you and I will have a wonderful relationship.”   
He turned to the man who had been attending to Mokuba.   
“Let's go get you cleaned up. It wouldn't do to have blood stains when our guests begin to arrive.”   
With that he laughed, saluting Mokuba who was curled up in as tight of a ball that he could manage with the bandages.

***

Kaiba burst into the school, white coat flaring behind him as he marched into the office, Joey right behind him. The principal wasn't even able to get off his chair before Kaiba lunged at him, demanding to see his brother at that moment.  
“Mr. Kaiba, please sit down we need to talk.”   
The man stated firmly, pointing at a chair in the room. Kaiba refused, pacing in the small room about ready to rip the man's throat out. Joey stood in the doorway, not sure what to do. He jammed his hands in his pockets, trying to keep out of the way. The principal eyed him, silently assessing the relationship between the two boys. He pointed at a second chair and Joey slid into it, tensing in case he needed to grab Kaiba.   
Finally the CEO sat also, realizing that threatening the man wasn't going to be enough to get his little brother. The principal leaned back, reaching for a thick file. He plopped it down on the table, opening it up and showing Kaiba that it was from Mokuba's discipline file.   
“I'm not going to pretend to understand all you and your brother have been through Mr. Kaiba. Orphaned at a young age, thrown into the system, adopted by a mad man... it's a wonder either of you is even half-way normal. I've tried to stay out of things, not because you can fire me with one word, but because I honestly believed that keeping the two of you together would help heal whatever wounds you both had. However, today's events have pushed things out of my control.” The principal stopped, looking back down at the folder before continuing.   
“Mokuba's English class is studying the classics, and they have begun reading Charles Dickons 'A Christmas Carole.' When the teacher had them reading outloud, your brother became agitated and began screaming and throwing things. He ran out of the room, hiding downstairs in the basement until we were able to locate your secuirty to pull him out. He's in the nurses office, and I've been forced to call the CPS office. They are going to interview both of you and decide where to place him for the night.”  
Kaiba stood back up, ready to snarl at the man in front of him. Joey grabbed his arm, pulling his boyfriend forcefully down into his chair.   
“If there is one thing I know its CPS doesn't get called unless there is a reason to suspect abuse. So why don't you tell us what the reasoning is so we can explain it?”  
Joey asked, hoping that whatever the misunderstanding was could be cleaned up. The principal stood up, walking around his desk and placing a hand on Kaiba's shoulder. He squatted down, looking the CEO straight in the eye.   
“Somebody has abused your brother Mr. Kaiba. He has scars on his legs from at least one beating, emotional issues from systamatic abuse, and burns on his body. He needs help, more than just a therapy session once a week from an expensive therapist. CPS will help get you into contact with survivors groups, and they will help your brother.”  
Joey started crying, fat tears sliding down his cheeks, thinking of all the people who had had a chance to hurt Mokuba over the years, and not liking that his boyfriend was in denial of the whole thing. A knock interrupted them, and the principal turned to greet the woman who entered the room.  
She offered her hand to both the boys, Joey accepting it while Kaiba stared at her with a murderous look. She leaned against the desk, pulling out a file of her own.   
“I've already been in to speak with your brother. He wants to see both of you, which will happen but first I need to explain to you what is going to happen right now. First off, Mokuba will not be able to go home with you tonight. Per Japan's law, we have to launch an investigation into how he is being abused, and by whom. Our biggest priority is making sure that Mokuba is safe for the night, and we have taken your situation under advisement. I've ran your close acquiantaces from your emergency contact lists, and I believe I've come up with a solution.”   
She pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Kaiba.  
“Solomon Moto? You're going to give my brother to that old man?”   
Kaiba shouted, throwing the paper down in disgust.   
“Mr. Moto has been a member of this community his whole life. He is well known, and most importantly, he has taken the mandated child abuse wellness courses when he applied for custody of his grandson. I've already been in contact with him, and he has agreed to take in Mokuba, along with a bodyguard of Mokuba's choosing.”   
Kaiba opened his mouth again, only to have Joey clamp a hand over it.   
“Mr. Kaiba, you must understand how many hoops have been jumped through for you and your brother. Tomorrow, we will come to your house while you are at school and check it. If everything is in order, we will release your brother back into your custody, and come up with a better treatment plan for him. In the mean time, I'll take you to him so you can say your goodbyes. You are to go home and back him a bag, and your body guard will bring it to him at the Moto's home.”   
She handed Joey a business card, recognizing the dead look in the CEO's eyes.   
“I wrote a codename on the back of this card. It is the name that will go on all of your files in order to protect both of you from the press. If you have any questions, just use these names. I'll leave you to go see your brother, and I will be talking to you tomorrow.”   
She stood up straight, shaking hands with the principal before extended on towards the CEO who ignored her. Joey shook it, knowing that Kaiba was too numb to comprehend what has going on. The last time he had seen that look on Kaiba's face was when Pegasus had stolen Mokuba's soul, and Joey was not looking forward to the rest of their night.   
The caseworker left, and Roland appeared, grabbing his boss by the arm to direct him around the school. Joey followed, looking around as they approached the nurses office. There was Mokuba, sitting on the edge of the bed staring out the window, looking like he had been through hell and back. He jumped up when he saw his brother, hugging Seto as if his very life depended on his physical interaction with the older boy.   
“I'm so sorry Seto! I don't know what happened, one minute I was sitting in class the next I was thinking of Pegasus and all the bad things he did to me! I keep seeing them over and over in my mind and I can't stop them... It hurts so bad Seto make it stop.”   
Kaiba just stared at his brother, for the first time in his life not knowing what to do to help comfort his brother. Mokuba just cried,, all of his pent up frustrations coming out in shallow gasps. Finally, Joey appeared, wrapping both of the brothers in a fierce hug. They stood there for a minute, preparing themselves for what was going to happen next.   
A knock on the door, and Solomon Moto appeared, bowing his head respectfully towards Kaiba. He smiled at the younger Kaiba brother, who slid off the cot he had been sitting on and walked over to the older man. Grandpa hugged him, ruffling the raven hair affectionally with a sad smile.   
“Mokuba, Roland is going to met us at the Shop with your things. We need to get back, I have to re-open for a shipment that's coming in.”   
Mokuba nodded, not looking back at his brother as he walked out of the room. Solomon watched the young boy leave, turning back to Kaiba and Joey with a frown.   
“Joseph, would you like a lift home? It's not worth you going back to school at this point.”   
Joey shook his head, looking over at his boyfriend.   
“I think I'll go over to the mansion tonight Gramps. Maybe spending some time with Yugi and Yami will help Mokuba get a good nights sleep. If he needs me, just have him call me.”   
Joey answered, reaching down to hold Kaiba's hand. Grandpa nodded, knowing exactly what Joey was not saying. Nodding towards the two boys, he left the room, wrapping his arm around Mokuba's shoulder as he took the small boy to his car.   
Kaiba and Joey sat in silence as they drove home, each one buried in his own thoughts. Joey was devestated that things went this far, knowing first hand what could happen now that CPS was involved.   
Kaiba could lose Mokuba, the younger boy could be sent into the system. He could loose his company, a suspicion of child abuse would make anyone want to stop doing business with a company. As they pulled into the driveway, Joey checked his phone, relieved that he hadn't received any panicked text messages.   
“Hey, how about I make us some chicken parm for dinner, then we can sit down and talk?”   
Joey suggested as Kaiba put the car into park. Kaiba didn't answer, instead slamming the door shut and stalking into the mansion. Joey followed him in silence, Roland appearing by the door with a duffel bag.   
“Mr. Kaiba, if there is nothing you require, I will be at the Moto's for the night.”   
Kaiba didn't respond, and Roland looked to Joey with one eyebrow raised. Joey nodded, dismissing the man for the night as he focused on his boyfriend.   
“Kaiba, we need to talk about this. I know your scared about losing your brother but blocking everything out isn't going to chance things!”   
“What do you know about anything Wheeler! Everyone keeps telling me how Mokuba's sick, how he needs help, how he's been through so much, but all I see is his weakness. He needs to be stronger, to push back”  
“How can you even say that Kaiba, he's your little brother!”   
“Obviously I protected him too much over the years, and now I might loose him because he can't even handle reading a story!!”   
“That's not true Kaiba! You know Mokuba has been through a lot, and he nees your support right now.”   
“There is nothing wrong with my brother. He just needs to learn to deal with things better!”   
Kaiba snarled, picking up his briefcase and hurling it across the room. Duel Monster cards went everywhere, and Joey bent down to pick them up, only to stop when Kaiba stomped up the stairs.   
Joey sighed, looking over at a maid who had been hiding in the next room. She pointed at the stairs, silently telling him to follow Kaiba and she would take care of the mess. Joey entered the bedroom to see Kaiba staring at a picture of his brother, his expression completely blank.   
He reached for Kaiba's hand, and the dam broke. Dry sobs racked the taller boys body, and he fell to the floor, unable to catch his breath. Joey just held on, whispering soothing sounds as the heaving continued.  
Finally it stopped, and Kaiba leaned forward, putting his head between his knees while Joey wrapped his arms around him. The two boys sat there for what seemed like hours, neither one saying anything.  
A quiet knock was heard, and Joey looked up to see the maid standing in the doorway holding a tray of food. Joey took it, and fed his boyfriend dinner. Kaiba didn't respond, staring off into space while Joey spooned soup into his mouth.   
Once that was done, Joey helped up the brunet and stripped both of them down to their boxers, helping Kaiba to settle on the bed. He laid down next to the CEO, curling up on his side and holding him close.   
Kaiba didn't say a word, just turned his head away and stared at the wall, the part of him that Yami had banished all those years ago beginning to rear it's ugly head again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank everyone for being so supportive of this story, it means a lot to me! In case it wasn't obvious I've never played the game before, so I just made up a few moves that I figured would work.. if not, then they are just bs main character powers!


	4. The Next Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba starts closing himself off, and Joey takes the brunt of his anger

Quietly mumbling met Joey's ears, causing him to open his eyes and look over at his boyfriend. Kaiba was obviously in the middle of a nightmare, moaning and rolling over in their bed. Joey touched his shoulder, a grounding technique he had learned from Mokuba's therapist. The idea was a gentle touch that reminded Kaiba he wasn't alone, and would hopefully allow his mind the chance to escape whatever dark hole it had found itself in.   
Usually it worked, Kaiba jerking out of sleep to roll over and wrap himself around the blond before falling into a more peaceful sleep. This time, Kaiba shrugged off his hand, reaching behind him to swat at the blond violently.   
Joey backed off, slidding off the bed to give the brunet as much room as possible. He sat down on the floor, back against the wall to give him support. He glanced at his phone and saw that it was barely 2 in the morning. His phone kept blinking, and he realized what had woken him up in the first place. Several text messages from Mokuba, time stamped only a few minutes prior, anxious and worried because he too had had a nightmare.   
Joey glanced one more time a the form on the bed before slipping out of the room to call the younger boy. He didn't notice the blue eyes that had opened and were now watching him leave, cold and hard as   
they stared at the blond's back. Joey stepped into the hallway, tapping the call button on his phone. Mokuba's quiet voice answered, still shaking with unshed tears.   
“Hey Mokuba, what's going on? Are you alright?”   
“Sorry Joey, I didn't know what else too do, it's so strange here, and I really miss you and big brother. Do you think they'll let me come home tomorrow?”   
Joey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.   
“I don't know Mokuba. The school has to be careful. If they don't report when they suspect something, they can get in a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, we have to suffer right now but it's going to get better.”   
Mokuba sniffed, looking out the window to the empty streets.   
“I just miss you and Seto. I want to come home.”   
“I know Mokuba, but Yugi, Yami, and Grandpa care about you too. They want you to be safe and happy, and Grandpa will do his best to keep you with them until this whole thing is settled.”   
“I know Joey, but I don't want to be here anymore. I want to sleep in my own bed with my own things around me. I need you guys here to help keep the nightmares away.”   
Mokuba started to cry again, leaving Joey to sit and listen while he tried to soothe himself. Another voice started talking, and before Joey could ask, Yami was on the phone.   
“Hey Yami.”  
“Hello Joey, sorry he woke you up I've been trying to check on him every so often.”   
Mokuba muttered something unintelligent, to which Yami quietly shushed him.   
“Get some sleep Joey, I'll stay here with Mokuba and we will talk about everything later.”   
Joey nodded, even though he knew no one could see him.   
“Let me talk to Mokuba one more time please.”   
Yami handed the phone back to the younger Kaiba, who had calmed down enough that he could talk.   
“Hey Mokuba, Yami's going to spend the rest of the night with you. Lay down and try to get some sleep ok? If you need anything I'll keep my phone on me so don't hesitate to call.”   
“Ok Joey.”   
Mokuba whispered before saying his good-bye's and ending his call. Yami watched the younger boy carefully, knowing that he was still very upset.   
“Would you like to talk about something Mokuba? I know here I'm just Yugi's other half, but I was the Pharaoh. People came to me all the time with their problems, and I had to help them fix what was wrong. Maybe I could help.”   
Mokuba ignored him, laying back down and rolling so his back was to Yami, who sighed and left the room, returning with a blanket and pillow that he laid on the floor next to the bed. He leaned over Mokuba, whispering that he was right there if the younger boy wanted to talk before bunkering down on the floor for what was certainly going to be a long night.   
Joey listened as the call ended, lowering the phone slowly before tapping it against his lips.   
“That's a good way to get sick Wheeler.”   
Joey jumped, looking up at his boyfriend who was standing in the hallway with his hands on his hips.   
“How long have you been standing there Kaiba, you scared the shit out of me.”   
Joey said, placing his hand on his chest to feel his racing heart.   
“Almost your entire conversation idiot. For a former gang member, you aren't that bright. You also aren't that observant maybe you need to tune your skills a little bit.”   
Kaiba turned on his heel and walked back into the room, followed closely by an irratated blond.   
“What is your problem Kaiba? Your brother called because he was having bad dreams and I didn't want to wake you. I didn't think I had to be on high alert in your fancy mansion.”   
Kaiba growled at him, approaching the blond as Joey took a step back. Kaiba continued walking towards him, and Joey stepped back into the hall, ready to bolt down the stairs if he needed too. The look in those blue eyes scared the blond, it was a look that he hadn't seen in a long time, back before Yami had appeared and Kaiba was nothing more than an egotistic CEO who bullied and threatened anyone who got near him.   
Finally Kaiba stopped, blinking several times before focusing back on Joey. He reached for the blond, Joey allowing himself to be crushed into the taller man's chest. Kaiba led him back into the bedroom, pushing Joey roughly down on the bed before pulling off Joey's boxers, throwing them on the floor along with his own. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hours later Joey approached the school grounds, stopping several times to adjust his uniform. Kaiba wasn't exactly gentle when it came to sex, and while Joey enjoyed it most of the time, this was too much.   
His sides ached from how hard Kaiba had squeezed them, sitting down was going to be a project, there were finger sized bruises on his arms, and he had several hickeys that luckily were low enough that the high collar on his uniform would hide them.   
The worst part was the black eye, which he had received when he tried to tell his boyfriend no, that he wasn't interested. Not that he was opposed to sex whenever, but the brunet had acted like a man possessed, grabbing and pushing with no thought to Joey's well-being.   
Then afterwards, he had left the room, not coming back at all. Joey hadn't seen him at breakfast, and the maid had informed him that Kaiba had already left for the day. Luckily, there was an old junker in the garage that Kaiba had given Joey, and while it didn't run all that well, it was enough to get him to school.   
With everything that was going on, Joey didn't want to not show up at school with the case worker watching all of them. Of course, showing up covered in bruises probably wasn't going to help either, but there was nothing he could do about that. Joey slid into his seat, noting that he was one of the first kids in his class.   
Kaiba wasn't even there yet, and Joey pulled out his phone to see if he could locate the brunet. No answer, which meant he was probably at work, most likely in a meeting with a lawyer to get his little brother back. Joey sighed again, putting his phone away while he drummed nervously. His various bruises hurt, causing him to shift around painfully to find a better position to sit.   
What made it even worse though was the nervous waiting for his friends to arrive, knowing he would have to answer all of their questions about his injuries, and lie to do it. He took a deep breath, using a technique he had learned in the gang to help focus his mind on something other than his injuries.   
Ryou was the first one in the door, looking over at Joey with a smile that froze on his face as he took in Joey's black eye. Bakura was right behind him, reaching down to finger the knife he always kept on him as he watched his boyfriend's face. Ryou walked over to his seat, placing down his backpack before approaching Joey, shooting Bakura a warning look.   
“What happened Joey?”  
He asked, touching the blond's face carefully. Joey winced, trying to hide how much his face really hurt.   
“He probably got that from wrestling with Kaiba yesterday during lunch, maybe he should learn how to duck better.”   
Bakura snickered, laughing at the pained expression on Joey's face.   
“Is that true Joey? Did Kaiba do that too you?”   
Ryou asked, noting how Joey squirmed.   
“Yea, remember he got that cheap shot on me yesterday? Well, guess it was a really lucky punch huh.”   
Joey smiled at his friend, trying to ignore the looks Bakura kept giving. Ryou nodded, accepting Joey's lie. He started talking to Joey about the previous nights school work, helping the blond with several questions that he had.   
The rest of their friends filtered in, accepting Joey's explination of his injuries with little question. Bakura continued to sit apart from the group, playing with the tip of his knife as he stared at the blond's face, just waiting for a chance to talk to him. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kaiba sat at his desk, his lawyer pacing the floor anxiously. He was one of the best Japan had to offer, but all he could see was the nightmare that having the younger Kaiba brother removed from his house under suspicion of abuse would bring the company. Kaiba continued to watch him, chin resting on his folded hand as he coldly weighed all his options.   
“Right now Mr. Kaiba the best thing to do is to just cooperate with the investigation. You've already taken the proper steps to show them that you take your brother's condition seriously, and that's going to be our best argument.”  
The lawyer placed his briefcase down on the floor, finally sititng so he was eye-to-eye with the CEO. Kaiba didn't move, allowing the older man the chance to fidget even more.   
“Mr. Kaiba, I hope you understand how severe this situation truly is. I know how much you care for your little brother, and if something goes wrong the courts can take away your status as his guardian. It certainly does not help that you are the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company who has many enemies and has failed in the past to provide adequate protection for Mokuba. You need to be aware that no matter how hard we fight, this might not go the way you want it too.”   
Kaiba stared at the man, cold blue eyes never wavering during his speech. The lawyer sighed, knowing he wasn't getting through to the younger man.   
“I'll head to the mansion right now so I'm there when the case worker arrives, you need to get to school so they don't hold that against you also.”   
With that he grabbed his briefcase and walked out the door, leaving Kaiba to stare at the empty chair across from him. Kaiba closed his eyes briefly, trying to keep his growing head ache at bay before he too left the office, calling his driver to be ready to take him to school.   
The day passed slowly for everyone. Kaiba appeared right after homeroom, not even acknowling the rest of the class. The teacher, having been informed of Mokuba's situation, didn't comment on the brunet's late arrival, instead re-directed the class to their math lesson.   
Yugi stared at Joey, who was leaning as far away from Kaiba as he could without actually falling off the chair. Tristan noticed too, looking between the two lovers with a frown covering his face. Bakura continued to play with the knife in his pocket, feeling more and more confident that he could take care   
of whatever was going on.   
The rest of the gang felt the tension, sharing worried glances as the teacher prattled on about the quadratic equation and it's importance in the world. The lunch bell rang after what seemed like forever, and the class fled for the cafeteria, once again leaving the gang in the room alone.   
Tristan tried to question h  
is buddy on what was wrong, but Joey blew him off, watching as Kaiba disappered out the door. “Come on man, I'm just hungry let's go eat!”   
He stated, grabbing Yugi and Ryou arms and pulling them out the door with a goofy grin on his face. Tea rolled her eyes at the two, pulling Tristan along who had grabbed a hold of Duke. Yami and Bakura stayed back, looking at each other with raised eyebrows.   
“You fell that too don't you Tomb Robber.”   
Yami stated evenly, crossing his arms.   
“Yea I do Pharaoh, it seems our dear Priest is being revisited by some of his old demons. Perhaps we should pay him a little visit?”  
Bakura suggested, pulling out his knife with a grin. Yami sighed before nodding, knowing that Bakura was right. Bakura's grin grew bigger when he realized Yami wasn't going to stop him, and he couldn't help but skip a little in glee.   
Yami opened his mouth to admonish the thief, but Bakura was already gone, in search of the CEO who was about to be his next victim. All the years of robbing tombs paid off hansomly when Bakura was able to locate his target in a matter of minutes.   
Of course, the brunet had only gone into the closest bathroom to the cafeteria, but Bakura counted it as a win for his skills anyway. It also helped that all it took was him walking into the bathroom to clear it out, the student body clearly terrified of the strange white-haired boy.   
Bakura waited until Yami entered the room before locking the door, perching on the sink while he waited for Kaiba to acknowledge his presense. The former Priest ignored him, texting on his phone trying to get in touch with his lawyer to see how the house visit had gone. Finally he gave up, turning to give the other two his patented glare.   
“What do you want?”   
“Well, nice to see you too Priest. I just wanted to have a little chat with you is all, see how your day was going.”   
Kaiba grunted, rolling his eyes at Bakura who had started running his fingers over his knife.   
“All I know Tomb Robber is that your little talk is costing me time sitting and going over paperwork for Kaiba Corp before lunch is over.”  
Bakura jumped off the sink, slamming Kaiba up against the wall so quick that the brunet didn't even had time to react.   
“Here's what I know. That mutt of your's showed up to school today limping and in pain. From the way he's breathing I'd say he's got a bruised rib. From the way he keeps adjusting his clothing I'd say he's got bruises in a few other places. From the way he's sititng I'd say someone wasn't too gentle with their love making last night.”   
Bakura leaned in even closer, making sure he was eye-to-eye with the CEO for his last point.   
“And of course, from the way he's avoiding looking at you, I'd say someone wasn't a willing participant in that love making either.”   
Kaiba looked away from Bakura, his gaze instead landing on Yami's blood-red eyes.   
“You must be mistaken on all of those accounts. If there is one thing I can say about Wheeler, he is an active participant in anything I ask him too do.”  
The knife was at Kaiba's throat before he could even finish the sentence, Yami jumping at Bakura to stop him before he sliced the brunet open.   
“You hear me Priest. That mutt is one of my light's best friends. He took care of Ryou when he had no one, and everyone was after him including me. That blond idiot has more courage than all of us put together, and I won't let you destroy him.”   
Bakura spat at the CEO, yanking himself out of Yami's grasp before stomping to the bathroom door, unlocking it and yanking it open, leaving Kaiba and Yami to stare at the spot where he had just been.   
“Like I'm scared of that idiot anyway, he's part of the reason Mokuba is the way he is now.”   
Kaiba brushed himself off, his confidence returning as quickly as it had disappeared.   
“You would do well to heed his warning Kaiba. Joey has proven to be a valuable friend and ally to all of us, and I do not want to see him hurt. Bakura has done some truly horrible things in his past, but the darkness that consumed him has disappeared, and while he does retain some negative aspects of his former personality, he has a good heart and he wants to make up for the things he has done. I suggest you watch your step.”   
Kaiba's only response was to turn and leave, Yami staring worriedly at his back. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mokuba's day was going even worse than the previous one. After barely getting any sleep, he was forced to talk to another case worker, who wanted to document every time he needed a band aid or an asprin. Not really, but the questions they were asking were starting to get on his nerves.   
Luckily Yugi's Grandpa was with him, having closed the shop down for the day to make the meetings. He was currently listening intently to the case worker, making notes as they went along. He had been through this before when Yugi's parents had left, and he remembered how nerve racking the process had been. He wanted things to go smoother this time, even though he knew that when you were dealing with the system, nothing ever went smoothly.   
“Mr. Moto. I would like you to go through all of your dealings with both Kaiba brothers in the past few years. It will help us build a profile on Mr. Kaiba.”   
Solomon sighed, leaning back as he contemplated a few things.   
“My grandson goes to school with the elder Kaiba boy, and they have gone on many adventures together. He is a... complicated young man.”   
“I have a note here that he actually put you in the hospital once after stealing from you... the police who investigated the complaint made a note that he disappeared shortly after the incident and the case was never persued.”   
Mokuba bit his bottom lip, knowing that his brother's past was about to come back and bite them. Solomon squeezed the boys hand, smiling reassuredly at him.   
“Seto was a victim of a cruel man who abused him relentlessly. He was never taught how to act properly towards his peers and elders, and he had it beaten into him that he was above everyone else and he was to show no weakness to anyone. When I met him, he wanted something of mine that I refused to give him, and he did take it.”   
Solomon paused, watching as the case worker continually wrote down in her notes before he continued his story.   
“We played a game of Duel Monsters, and the stress of the situation caused me to become sick. Since then, I have watched him grow into an adult with the weight of the world on his shoulders. The only thing he cares about is Mokuba, and he would do anything to keep his brother with him, and he has done quite a bit.”   
The case worker paused in her writing, consulting her notes briefly.   
“I understand that Mokuba was kidnapped shortly after all this happened in some sort of plot to take control of Kaiba Corp. Then he was kidnapped during the Battle City tournament, and then he was taken out of school for several months to fly around to build theme parks. Then he was taken over to America, and he wasn't enrolled into school over there either. That's a lot of moving around for a child who should be in school learning. He should be in a more stable home environment and I don't know if his brother can provide that.”   
Mokuba stood up, clenching his fists as he sneered at the case worker much like his brother would. She simply stared back, tapping her paperwork as she waited for him to sit back down. Mokuba finally complied, flopping back down on the chair while he folded his arms and huffed.   
“Mokuba, I know this situation is scary for you, but I really am here to help. Under the law, you are old enough to have a say in where you live, and I'd like to approve you to go back to your brother's home. However, it's my job to make sure that you are safe and getting whatever help you need to get better. I need you to understand this so we can make it through this process.”   
Mokuba looked down at his shoes, nodding angrily as he listened to the case worker's words. She smiled at the young boy before gathering up her paperwork and standing, holding her hand out to shake both Solomon's and Mokuba's hands.   
“One of my co-workers is looking at your house right now, and just as long as he doesn't see anything abnormal, we will allow you to be released back to your brother's custody. I have to finish interviewing a few more people, then we will develop a plan to help both of you deal with what you've been through.”   
Mokuba nodded, watching silently as she left the room.   
“Don't worry Mokuba, I'm sure everything will be worked out soon. I have to get back to the shop, I'll be back to pick you up when school is over.”   
Solomon got up, patting Mokuba on the back before smiling.   
“Thank you Mr. Moto. I appreciate everything you've done to help me and my brother.”   
Mokuba whispered, picking up his backpack so he could leave the room and go back to his classes. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Joey headed towards the giant Cherry Blossom Tree in the courtyard as soon as the bell ran for school to end. His last period gym class had ended early when someone had thrown a ball at the door and broke the glass, leaving the class 20 minutes to stare at each other while the teacher yelled.   
He plopped down carefully, enjoying the warm sun on his face as he waited for his friends to show up. Tristan showed first, waving at Joey as he made his way over to his buddy. The two friends started talking, Tristan eyeing Joey to see how many injuries he could see.   
Yugi and Ryou showed up next, dragging Duke with them, Yami following them smirking at the raven haired boy. Surprisingly, Bakura and Tea were the last to arrive, the two of them whispering to each other as they glanced around the group. Joey frowned, knowing that they were plotting something. Yugi waved at his Joey, trying to get his attention.   
“Grandpa wants to know if you want to come over for dinner tonight Joey. The case worker said that Mokuba can go home after school tomorrow, and he thinks you being there for a bit might let Mokuba sleep better tonight.”   
Joey tilted his head, thinking about what Yugi had just said.   
“I'll come over for awhile, Kaiba is going to be working late tonight anyway so I would just be waiting around the mansion anyway.”   
Yugi smiled, clapping his hands together. Joey smiled at his friend, pulling down the sleeves of his uniform to cover his bruise.   
“Good! Grandpa will be so excited to see you! It's been weeks since you've been over! Maybe before dinner we could play a few games together it's been forever since we've dueled.”   
Yugi continued to babble on about what they could do at the house while Joey absently rubbed his bruises while Bakura watched him carefully. Kaiba choose that moment to walk towards them, staring straight ahead while he talked on the phone. Joey watched him go, not even bothering to try to get his boyfriend's attention.   
Tristan caught his eye, raising one eyebrow in a silent question that Joey ignored. The pain in his backside had finally lessened, and he was able to sit down without feeling like crying. All-in-all things were looking up, and Joey hoped they would continue that way. Yugi unlocked the Game Shop's door and walked in, looking around for Grandpa.   
“He must have gone to go get Mokuba from his school.”   
There was a note on the desk, and Yugi quickly read it over, nodding to himself.   
“Grandpa said he will be back shortly. He wants us to start dinner.”   
Yami immediately headed into the kitchen. Once he learned how to use modern electronics, he had spent a lot of time in the kitchen learning how to cook. He wasn't great, but at least he could cook a few meals for everyone when Grandpa wasn't able too. Yugi followed him while Joey walked into the stock room, looking for something to do.   
Seeing some unopened boxes, Joey pulled them out, letting the familiar hum of work distract him from everything that was going on. He quickly finished up the work, placing the merchandise exactly how Grandpa wanted it. Nodding in satisfaction he walked out of the stockroom, surprised to see a middle-aged woman standing in the middle of the shop.  
“Can I help you? Gramps closed the shop today but if it's really important...”   
“I'm not here to buy anything. I am Anna Kline, I am Mokuba's caseworker. I'm looking for a Joseph Wheeler and Yugi Moto.”   
Joey frowned, extending his hand cautiously as he introduced himself.   
“I'm Joey, and Yugi is in the kitchen getting dinner ready.”   
Anna smiled, shaking Joey's hand.   
“I know this whole thing must be scary for all of you, but I honestly am here to help. Mokuba's been through a lot and I want to help him get what he needs to actually get better.”   
Joey studied her for a few minutes, nodding to himself. After the caseworkers allowed his mother to take his sister and leave him with an abusive alcoholic, Joey had very little faith in the system. Then again, which what Mokuba and Kaiba went through, he couldn't believe that Kaiba had allowed anyone to take his brother without killing him first.   
However, Grandpa knew this woman, and trusted her enough that perhaps things would turn out differently for all of them. Speaking of which, Grandpa choose that moment to walk in the door with Mokuba silently tagging along behind him.   
“Anna! Was I expecting you to be here?”   
Grandpa asked, extending a hand towards here.   
“Hello Solomon, it's nice to see you again. I actually just came from Mokuba's home, and I wanted to do an evaluation here.”   
Grandpa nodded, opening up the door that separated the shop and the house. Mokuba and Joey followed silently, looking at each other as they walked through the door. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++==

Insane giggle broke through the quiet sunset, a grown man sitting on the beach wearing a bathrobe and slippers and watching his favorite cartoon: Funny Bunny. Pegasus took a sip out of his wine, flipping through his comic book as he continued to watch the cartoon. He face itched, the hole where the Eye had once been burning once again.   
Everyday he felt the magic lessen, and the more he remembered of his past, of the awful things that he had done in hopes of getting his wife back. All the people he kidnapped, and the ones he hurt, and all the things he had done to the ones who owned the rest of the Millenium items.   
Then there was Mokuba, the young boy he had taken advantage of time and time again all because his older brother had something he wanted desperately. He was no better than some of the other item holders, hurting whoever got in his way to get what he wanted.   
Pegasus ran his hands over his bathrobe, making sure he smoothed out the wrinkles as he continued to contemplate where his life was, and where he wanted it to go next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If it's not clear, Kaiba forced himself on Joey. And yes, you can actually rape someone you're in a relationship with.


	5. Chapter 5

“Ms. Kline, could I offer you something to drink?”  
Grandpa asked, offering the younger woman a chair in the kitchen. Anna smiled while she placed her briefcase on the table.   
“Just some tea please if you don't mind, I am working after all.”   
Grandpa nodded, turning to heat up some water. Anna turned to Joey and Yugi with a smile on her face.   
“I know you two have both been through this before, but I hope you won't let your past experiences get in the way of what is happening now.”   
Yugi and Joey nodded, casting side long glances at each other. Anna pulled out a notebook, setting it on the table.   
“I just have some questions to ask you two about things that have popped up during my interviews. The first is about this Pegasus fellow.”   
Yugi sank down in his chair, not looking forward to this at all. After what seemed like hours, Anna left, shaking hands with the boys and gently patting Mokuba on the back before she left. As soon as the door shut, Yugi hugged Mokuba, allowing the raven haired boy a second to regain his composure. “How about we have dinner now, I think that will make all of us feel a little better.”   
Yami said, ushering them all back to the table. Grandpa turned on the radio, wanting to listen to the news while they eat. Sport scores and weather were discussed, before they started talking about world news.   
“So you excited about going back home tomorrow Mokuba?”   
Yugi asked, passing a plate to the younger boy. Mokuba nodded before smiling.   
“I can't wait to sleep in my own bed... not that you guys haven't been great, but I want my own things around me.”   
“I can understand that Mokuba, being here in my own body has taken some getting use to, especially now that I have my memories as Pharaoh to contend with.”   
Yami accepted his own plate, smiling at Yugi and squeezing his hand. A sudden beep caused them all to stop and look at Joey, who was fumbling with his phone.   
“Sorry guys, a Kaiba Corp alert came up on my phone.”   
Mokuba's phone went off then, and he pulled it out. Joey read over the story, his face starting to pale.   
“It says Kaiba Corp just bought out Istcha Enterprises, that new electronics company that has been shooting up the stock market the past few months and causing your stocks to sink.”  
“That makes no sense, that company is just a lower level version of Kaiba Corp, it's not worth the stock price and Seto knows that.”   
Mokuba pondered, looking over the story himself.   
Joey shrugged, not really understanding what was going through Kaiba's head.   
“I'm sure he has his reasons Mokuba, we will have to wait and talk to him later.”   
Joey said, patting Mokuba on the head before turning back to his dinner with a smile. 

 

Kaiba sat back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head and smiling. The news was eating up the story of him buying this company, not knowing the true story behind his 'purchase.' The roll of film that was hiding in his desk, the sd card that was duplicated and hidden at home, and the pictures that showed the CEO of Istcha Enterprises doing drugs at a party at his house.   
He had been sitting on these, waiting for the stock to rise enough that it wouldn't be an embarrassment to own and swooped in, throwing down the pictures with a check, buying the whole company for barely a million dollars.   
The paniked CEO had signed the papers without hesitation, not even smart enough to call a lawyer to look them over. Kaiba pulled out an envelope and placed the film and sd card inside, then sealing it and addressing it to the Domino Police Department. He then called for Roland, handing him the envelope and ordering him to deliver it immediately.   
Roland bowed before leaving, shutting the door silently behind him. Kaiba smiled to himself, turning in his chair to stare out at the city below, smiling to himself.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Joey carefully walked into the mansion, hanging up his old green jacket in the closet before entering further, looking around for signs that his boyfriend was somewhere in the building. He rubbed his wrist carefully, the bruises staring to ache again.   
He really didn't want to come back here tonight, after last night's events he really needed a cooling off period, but he didn't want to worry Yugi and his Grandpa by staying there, and he had left Yugi's house to late to return to his father's.   
The old man locked the door at 9 o'clock, not worried about his son's welfare as much as not being awaken by any visitors that might show up. Joey couldn't really blame him, but he didn't want to worry about walking into the apartment with a gun pointing in his face. Once of these days he would pull the trigger by accident, and Joey did not want to be on the end of it.   
He entered the kitchen and sighed. No coffee cup was in the sink, or plate in the dishwasher. Kaiba wasn't here, and Joey was relieved. He turned off the light and slunk upstairs to one of the guest rooms. He undressed, sliding in between the sheets before closing his eyes and attempting to fall asleep. 

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Mokuba tossed and turned, unable to settle down for the night. Yami was laying on the floor, still awake but trying to give the younger boy space unless he needed it. Mokuba's hip hurt, the scars from his branding throbbing as he tried to work through another nightmare. Crying out, he shot up, jumping out of the bed before tripping over Yami. The former Pharaoh quickly wrapped his arms around the boy, letting him cry.   
“I miss Seto Yami. Why can't I go home right now?”   
Mokuba sobbed, burying his face in Yami's shoulder.   
“I don't know Mokuba. Maybe your brother needed some time to get things in order before you came home. He has a lot going on don't forget.”  
“I know. He's always got stuff going on when I need to talk to him. Seto acts like his problems are harder than mine are. He's never talked about what happened when we were adopted by our step-father, or when we were trapped by Noah.”   
Yami wrapped his arm around Mokuba, staring off into space.   
“Your brother is the proudest man that I know. He wouldn't admit that he was wrong about anything. It's both his gift and his curse, the same as when I was Pharaoh and he was my High Priest. I wish it was different, but it's not going to be. You'll have to deal with all of your brother's faults, and that is one of them.”   
Mokuba sunk down, laying his head in Yami's lap, falling asleep while the King of Games played with his hair.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Morning came, and Joey slowly opened his eyes. His alarm was going off, and he groaned. At least today was Friday, two days off would hopefully help things settle down. He reached for the alarm, or at least tried to.  
His arm was frozen, a heavy weight on top of it. He looked down, the sleep clearing so he could understand that Kaiba had not only come home, but joined him some time in the night. Joey sighed, Kaiba's iron grip was hurting his bruises, as well as his ribs.   
He gently wiggled out, wondering why the brunet hadn't woken up himself. He padded to the guest bathroom, deciding he was going to shower before attempting to wake the beast. The hot water felt good on his aching body, and he took full advantage, frowning when he turned it off.   
He didn't bother to get dressed, wrapping a towel around himself before exiting the bathroom. Kaiba was up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his arms crossed. He was already dressed, somehow getting completely ready in the time that Joey barely took his shower.   
Joey frowned, not sure how to address his boyfriend. Kaiba was giving him the glare, the same one that had caused so many fights between them in the past. Joey wasn't going to let him get away with it. He marched past him, grabbing clothes and throwing them on the bed.   
Kaiba waited, his eyes never leaving Joey's. Joey stared back, not budging. Finally, Kaiba relented, standing up and approaching the blond. He placed his hands on Joey's hips, right over the bruises that fit his hands perfectly. He squeezed, staring into Joey's eyes as the blond cried out in pain.   
“Oh please. Are you going to start whining over everything too? It's bad enough that Mokuba does it, I don't need you too.”  
Kaiba snarled, pushing Joey back against the dresser.   
“I let you come into my home, eat my food, sleep in my bed, and play my games. I don't think a little stress relief for myself is too much to ask don't you think.”   
Joey shook his head, pushing back against the CEO.   
“Get off of me jackass. I'm not your little play toy. You begged me to come here and now you want to throw it in my face? I know you're having a rough time because Mokuba is not here but that is not my fault.”   
Joey wiggled out, grabbing his clothes before slamming the bathroom door. He emerged again a few minutes later, eyeing Kaiba.   
“I'll take the bus to school today, and I'll stay over at Yugi's for the weekend. Good luck with Mokuba I hope you don't give him this same speech.”  
He turned and walked out the bedroom door, checking his phone to see if Tristan could give him a ride to school. Kaiba didn't bother to stop him, staring at the closed door with a frown.  
Tristan pulled up to the gates, looking around for Joey. The blond was hiding right behind him, quietly slipping out when he saw his friend. Tristan handed him a helmet, and the two boys took off. There was still time before school, and the two boys decided to stop at Yugi's and see if he had left yet.   
Even though Tristan had his bike, he still liked to walk to school with his friends and leaving the motorcycle at the Game Shop under Grandpa's watchful eye.   
They were in luck, not only were Yami and Yugi still at the shop, but Tea had come by for breakfast. Grandpa offered the two boys the leftovers, and Joey accepted, sitting down next to a silent Mokuba with a grin  
. “Thanks Gramps I'm starving! I didn't have a chance to eat before Tris picked me up.”   
“Well, I can't send my boys off to school without some sort of food in their bellies... how are they suppose to graduate when they can't concentrate?”   
Grandpa asked jokingly, rubbing Joey's hair affectionately. Mokuba watched the rest of the group fool around while he finished his cereal, too tired to add anything to the conversation. Joey nudged the younger boy several times, quietly asking him if he was alright. Mokuba nodded, not wanting to get into his conversation with Yami the night before.  
“Mokuba, Roland will be by shortly to pick you up and take you to school. Do you have everything packed?”   
Grandpa asked, smiling. Mokuba nodded again, only sleeping two hours a night gave one a lot of time to make sure they got everything done.   
“Why don't you go get your bags and put them by the door? We have to make sure you are not late for school.”   
Mokuba stood up and left the table, running quickly up the stairs to grab his bags. Joey watched him leave before looking back at Yugi and Yami.   
“Last night wasn't any better was it?”   
He questioned, watching as Yami sunk into his chair, attempting to avoid eye contact.   
“He was up half the night with nightmares. Yami sat with him, but I don't know if that helped at all.” Yugi confirmed, grabbing Yami's hand and squeezing.   
“I don't know what to do for him. Maybe a weekend with you and his brother will help.”   
Joey sighed, knowing that it was now or never.   
“Kaiba and I got into a fight this morning about the whole situation. He doesn't want me to be there when Mokuba gets home, he thinks its going to be too much for him. I'm going to stay at home for this weekend, see if my old man needs any help with anything.”   
Joey said, smiling to make everyone think things were ok.   
“You don't need to stay at your house Joey, why don't you come over to my place? Mom's been dying to have someone watch her soaps with her, and dad wants to try out his new smoker, you'll be the perfect guinea pig!”   
Tristan suggested, reaching around Tea to hit Joey in the arm. The blond grinned, knowing this was going to be the best offer he was going to receive.   
“I'll come over in the morning Tris. Gotta show my face at the house at some point!”   
Joey smiled, winking at his friends.   
“I thought you went home last night Joey?”   
Yami asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.   
“I was going too, but I changed my mind and went to the mansion in case Kaiba needed me.”   
Joey said dismissively, waving a hand to make it seem like no big deal. Tea stood up, picking up her plate before glaring at Tristan and Joey to do the same. The three visitors cleaned up, loading the dishwasher and wiping the table for the Moto's. Grandpa thanked them, handing Yugi a box.   
“I have some leftover cinnamon rolls for Ryou and Bakura. Maybe some day they'll actually come to the house so I can get to know them.”   
Yugi smiled, snuggling the box into his book bag. He then looked at his watch, looking back at his group of friends.   
“We need to get going guys, better say good-bye to Mokuba before we go.”   
The raven-haired boy appeared just then, waving at the group as they walked out the door. 

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Footsteps echoed throughout the house, making it seem even creepier than usual. They paused at the door, and Seto held his breath, hoping that his adopted father wouldn't enter and force him into more work. So many math problems, his head was spinning.   
It had only been a few months since the adoption, and Seto was starting to wonder if he had made a mistake. The endless hours of books, the almost no human contact, and the beatings wore down on him, wondering if he was good enough to be this mans heir.   
“Seto.”   
The voice boomed, and the young boy quickly jumped off of the bed, opening the door to reveal his adopted father standing there. The belt was already out, and it whipped across Seto's face before he could even react.   
“I've been told that you've been slowing down on your studies Seto. I though we were cleared on the rules here. You kept the grades up, don't embarrass me in public, and I leave your little brother alone.”   
Seto's eyes widened, realizing where he was going.   
“You better figure out your studies young man, or that adorable doe-eyed brother of yours is going to be next.”   
The elder Kaiba turned and left, swinging his belt back and forth with a careless whistle escaping his lips. Seto reached up to touch his swollen cheek, silent fuming as he watched the man disappear. Closing the door, he made it to the bathroom, carefully cleaning up his face. His clock beeped that it was time to go down for dinner, and Seto knew he had to make sure he was cleaned up before presenting himself.   
He patted himself dry, avoiding touching his face as much as possible. He grabbed a fresh shirt out of the closet and quickly changed into it before leaving his room. The sounds of giggling met his ears, and Seto walked into the dining hall to see his younger brother laughing as their 'father' tickled him and chuckled at Mokuba's faces.   
“Seto!”  
Mokuba gasped, smiling at his brother as he tried to catch his breath.   
“Guess what we're having for dinner! Spaghetti and meatballs!”   
The raven-haired fuzzball hugged his older brother, frowning as he looked at Seto's face.   
“What happened to you Seto? Why's your face so red?”   
“I tripped and fell on the steps Mokuba, but I'm fine.”   
Seto smiled at his little brother before siting down at his seat.   
“Mokuba has finally caught up to his class, I am most proud of you my boy!”  
(200)   
Gozaburo clasped Mokuba on the shoulder, smiling broadly.   
“They said it would take him two years to catch up, it only took him 3 months to take over as the top of his class!”   
Seto smiled a little at his brother, not sure what to say.   
“I'm proud of you too Mokuba”   
He repeated, looking down at his plate, hoping this dinner would end soon. Once the spaghetti was finished, the maid brought out ice cream sundaes, which Mokuba engulfed, then polished off his brother's. He was then dismissed, with Seto sticking behind.   
“So Seto, I'm glad that at least one of my sons is living up to his potential.”   
Gozaburo stated, staring down the young teen.   
“You worry to much about him instead of your own studies, a trait most unbecoming to the heir apparent of my company. I expect you to catch up by the end of the month, or I'll be forced to make this separation more permeate.”   
Gozaburo sneered, getting up from the table and walking away, leaving Seto staring down at his plate quietly. 

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Kaiba jerked himself awake, shaking his head to get rid of the memories. He had dozed off during math class, not that he needed to pay attention but he needed to keep up appearances for the sake of his brother.   
Joey was in the class, sulking in the opposite corner while casting glances over at the CEO. Kaiba rolled his eyes, wondering what he was thinking when he started to shack up with the mutt in the first place. Duke was eyeing him too, looking him over carefully.   
Kaiba met his stare head on, daring the Dungeon Dice master to challenge him. The bell rang, and still the three sat there, waiting for the other to make a move. The next class started to filter in, which finally broke the stand off. Kaiba stood up, sweeping out of the room dramatically.   
He entered the bathroom, splashing water on his face to calm his nerves. The door swung open, and he ignored it until his face was pressed up against the mirror.   
“What is your problem Kaiba?”   
Bakura demanded, squeezing the CEO's neck tighter.   
“I thought I warned you about messing with my Light's friends, and now the mutt's wandering around like he got in trouble after peeing on the carpet.”  
“Why do you care? It's not like they like you... Ryou would rather be with the friendship freak than look at you, that's pretty pathetic if you ask me.”   
Kaiba attempted to sneer, even though Bakura's grip was starting to cut off his oxygen.   
“That's enough Kaiba. Bakura you need to let him go, we didn't come in to strangle him.”   
Yami's rich baritone rang out, making Kaiba frown.   
“Fine. But I'm not responsible if anything should happen to him if he makes any more smart ass remarks about my Light.”   
Bakura stated calmly, letting go of Kaiba's throat. The CEO gasped twice, filling up his lungs quickly before turning and glaring at the two spirits.   
“Get away from me before I have both of you arrested.” He growled, pushing through to the door without answering either of them. 

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Mokuba bounced up and down in the limo, excited that he was finally going to be going back home. Roland was grinning at the young boys antics, glad to have him back.   
“Young Master Kaiba, we will be back home shortly. Your brother will be home in time for dinner, any suggestions on what we should have?”   
Mokuba thought about it for a few minutes, going through a list of all of his favorite foods.   
“Honestly Roland, I just want some soup with that fancy bread that Joey gets from the bakery. Do you think Joey will be able to make it tonight for dinner?”   
Mokuba asked hopefully, smiling at Roland. The bodyguard sighed, not knowing what to do.   
“Mr. Wheeler isn't going to be home tonight Mokuba, your brother thought it would be for the best if it was just the two of you tonight.”   
Mokuba sank down in the back, disappointed. He missed Joey, the blond always seemed to know what to say to help him deal with his nightmares, but his brother knew what was the best for all of them.   
The limo pulled up to the mansion, and Mokuba bounced out, smiling at the maid who opened the door. He immediately ran into the living room and pulled out his games, happily plugging them in and playing until the maid came and told him to clean up for dinner. Mokuba looked at the clock, not realizing that it was so late already.   
“Is my brother here yet?”   
He inquired, and the maid nodded.   
“He's already at the table waiting for your Sir.”   
Mokuba smiled and walked out of the room, eager to see Seto.   
“Big brother I missed you.”   
He sobbed as soon as he saw Seto, running into his brother's waiting arms. Kaiba aloud himself a small smile at seeing his baby brother again before stiffening again.   
“It's nice to have you home Mokuba, the Mansion has been rather quiet without you in it.”   
Mokuba smiled, settling in his seat to the right of his brother. The seat on the left was empty, its usual noisy occupant not there. The meal was served, and the boys began to eat in silence. An easy peace came over them, which was shattered once the doorbell rang.   
“Were you expecting visitors tonight Mokuba?”  
Kaiba questioned, raising an eyebrow at his brother.   
“No Seto, I didn't invite anyone over tonight.”   
Mokuba answered, looking over at his brother. Roland had already slipped out of the room, returning a few minutes later. Kaiba waited for him to say something, and when that didn't happen he snapped.   
“Who was at the door Roland?”   
The bodyguard sighed before standing aside as someone else entered the room.   
“Hello Kaiba-Boy.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This flashback takes place a few weeks after everyone returns from Egypt after the Pharaoh leaves... not much angst in this one, needed a little break before the next part

Mokuba couldn't help but roll his eyes at his big brother. They had been back from Egypt for two weeks and the older boy was driving him nuts. Ranting and raving under his breath, throwing objects, refusing to leave his office to come home at night, and breaking several lap tops were just the tip of the ice berg. Right now the raven haired boy was trying to get his brother to eat something, anything.   
“I'll call Yugi, tell him to come over for a duel if you just take a few bites Seto.”   
He suggested, hoping he could tempt his older brother. Blue eyes narrowed dangerously, and the sandwich that had been sitting on his desk was pushed off.   
“You know I don't do that anymore Mokuba. There's no one in the world that's worth dueling anymore.”   
He snarked, turning back to the computer and ignoring the smaller boy. Mokuba sighed, shaking his head.   
“Alright big brother, you win. I'm going home, I have to go to school in the morning, maybe you should too.”   
Kaiba tapped his desk thoughtfully, realizing that his brother wasn't wrong.   
“OK Mokuba, I'll go home with you. Just give me a few minutes to finish this up.”   
Mokuba smiled brightly, sitting down on his chair while he waited for his brother.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kaiba sat in the back of the classroom, eyes never leaving his laptop. His 'peers' had filtered in, ignored the brunette sitting in the back of the room. Yugi and Joey were among the last, both glancing at him before settling in their own seats.   
They whispered to themselves, glancing back at the CEO before continuing their conversation. Finally Joey stood up, looking over at the taller boy carefully. He sat down on the desk in front of Kaiba, waiting for a minute before starting to talk.   
“I'm surprised to see you Kaiba. Figured you were too busy running that fancy company of yours to bother with all of us normal people.”   
He said, smiling.   
“Didn't realize you cared so much about me Wheeler. I'm flattered.”   
Kaiba snarled, looking even harder at his screen.  
“Don't be Kaiba. Yugi and I have been talking to Mokuba. He's worried to death about you, and asked us for help.”   
Kaiba snorted, ignoring the mutt staring at him. Joey leaned in, lowering his voice.   
“Seriously Kaiba, Yugi and I are concerned about you. We all miss the Pharaoh, but we're dealing with it as best as we can. Together, as friends. Even Mokuba has been talking about things that have happened, but you're the only one who won't share or talk about what you're going through.”   
Kaiba kept talking, trying to keep his emotions under check. Joey sighed, staring at the typing fingers. He tossed a piece of paper at Kaiba, staring at the CEO.   
“That's my new number. Use it sometime.”   
Kaiba didn't make a move, and Joey walked away, shrugging at Yugi who had watched the whole exchange carefully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A week passed, and things began going back into a routine. Kaiba had yet to come back to school, and Yugi was at a loss as to what to do. Joey tried to be helpful, but privately he enjoyed the days of not hearing his name being spat out of the the other man's mouth.   
Tristan was too busy spending time with Duke, and Ryou was enjoying his new freedom without his darker half. Tea was quiet, missing not only the Pharaoh but the closeness that the gang had once had. They didn't spend much time together now, and it bothered her that they could fall apart so easily.   
She pushed the thoughts back as she pulled her dance bag out of her locker, yelling a quick bye to Joey as she dashed away to her lesson. Joey watched her go, waving at her back. He grabbed a few books before closing his own locker, leaning up against it waiting for Yugi. The smaller boy finally appeared, frowning as he approached his own locker deep in though.   
“What's wrong Yug? You look like someone just punch you in the gut.”   
Joey said, wrapping his arm around his best friend.   
“Sorry Joey, I was just thinking about... well you know.”   
Joey smiled at his friend, giving the shorter boy a quick squeeze on the shoulder.   
“I know Yug, we all miss him.”   
“It's not just that Joey. Everything's changed. I miss all of us being friends.”   
Joey frowned, looking down at Yugi.   
“You'll always be my bud Yugi, even when we're old and gray and can't even remember how to play Duel Monsters.”   
Yugi nodded, not looking convinced.   
“Speaking of being friends forever, Mokuba texted me last night.”   
Joey added, watching as Yugi's head snapped up.   
“I didn't know you too talked that much.”   
He stated quietly, and Joey shrugged.   
“He must have gotten my number from his brother. He wants to have the gang over this weekend for a pool party. He's been really lonely since we got back.”   
“That might not be a bad idea. It would be nice for all of us to hang out again.”   
Yugi said carefully, mulling over the idea in his mind.   
“We've never really done anything with Kaiba that doesn't involve saving the world, or at least a member of our family.”   
Joey staggered against the lockers, pretending to be in shock.   
“You mean there's a chance we can show Rich Boy that there is more to life than just challenging people to card games?!?! He might just faint!”  
Yugi smiled at that, closing his locker before following the blond out of the school. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, and before any of the teens knew it they were outside The Kaiba Mansion, staring at the closed gates.   
“Anyone got the password?”   
Tristan joked, looking around for some sort of buzzer to ring so they can be let in.   
“Knowing Kaiba you probably have to sign away your first born and pledge your life to him and his little brother.”   
Duke added, winking at Tea. Yugi smiled faintly, picking up his phone to call Mokuba. A few words were exchanged and the gates opened, closing quickly after the gang had entered.   
“Mokuba said to go around back, there's a pool house where we can change and there will be a buffet set up shortly for lunch.”  
Tristan and Joey looked at each other for a second before taking off, fighting to be the first ones to the food. Tea sighed, looking over at Yugi.   
“Looks like some things never change.”   
Yugi smiled in agreement. An hour later the gang in was in the pool, playing an intense game of volleyball. Yugi, Joey, and Duke were teamed against Tristan, Tea and Ryou. Mokuba was the ref, and also took over when someone needed a break. He was having a ball, harassing all the teens while they attempted to argue with his calls.   
Yugi in particular was having a hard time, the few inches he had grown since Egypt not helping much with hitting the ball over the net. No one noticed that Kaiba was watching from the pool house, keeping a vigil eye on his little brother.   
At some point Mokuba stood up, walking around the edge of the pool, pointing at a spot and arguing playfully with Joey. The blond obviously didn't appreciate what Mokuba was saying, and he got out of the pool, dripping as he placed both hands on his hips and continued to talk with Mokuba.   
Kaiba noticed his little brother was laughing, which didn't stop his fists from clenching at Joey's attitude.   
Finally the talking stopped, and the two stared at each other for a minute before Joey grabbed Mokuba and jumped in the pool to the younger boys squealing. They both surfaced, laughing and looking like they were having the time of their lives. Kaiba snorted to himself, looking down at his watch, knowing that he should go back to work.   
Still... maybe he could push it back a bit. He tilted his head, going through the options in his mind. Sighing, he pulled open the door and stepped out, strolling over to the pool's edge before any of the teens saw him. Mokuba was the first to react, swimming over to him with a grin.   
“Big brother! You're here! Are you going to swim with us?”   
Kaiba shook his head, opening his mouth to answer right before he found himself flying through the air, hitting the water with a big splash while a blond mutt and a brunet idiot grinned like mad at him. Kaiba surfaced, looking over at the laughing teens who were high-fiving themselves and Mokuba. None of them noticed the CEO standing in the water, arms crossed as he stared at them.   
“Joey and Tristan! What were you two thinking? Kaiba was nice enough to let us come over here and you two decide to throw him in the pool?”   
Joey grinned sheepishly, sliding back into the water and staying next to Mokuba.   
“It was all Mokuba's idea, we were just innocent victims in all of it I swear.”   
Kaiba continued to stare, feeling his blood pressure rise.   
“I should have known not to let animals into my house. I'm going to have to drain the pool to get all the hair out now.”   
“You want a piece of me Kaiba, come and get it.”   
Joey snarled, raising his fist. Tristan quickly grabbed a hold of him. Mokuba attempted to help, placing his hand on the blond's shoulder to try to calm him.   
“Big brother stop it! We were just having a big of fun, I'm sorry you got thrown in the pool but it doesn't give you the right to be mean to my friends!”   
Kaiba froze at Mokbua's words, not wanting to continue upsetting his little brother. Mokuba took a breath, looking over at the gang.   
“How about we get out of the pool? I just got a new batch of video games that we can all play!”   
Yugi smiled at that, wanting to ease the tension that had seeped into their afternoon.   
“That sounds like a great idea Mokuba I'm staring to feel a little water logged myself!”   
The rest of the gang agreed, and they quickly vacated the pool, leaving Kaiba standing in the middle of the pool with his arms still crossed and his mind running a mile a minute. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“And the Mario Kart winning is Joey Wheeler.... the crowd goes wild!!!”   
Joey dropped the controller and threw his hands in the air, almost knocking over Ryou, who had made the mistake of sitting next to him. Yugi smiled, putting down his own controller and sighing. The race had been a close one, but for once Joey's own Lady Luck had come through.  
He had gotten the right weapon at the last moment and used it to steal first place from Yugi, dashing through the finish line milliseconds in front of him. The tri-colored hair boy smiled, glad his friend was so happy.   
“Great game Joey!!”   
Mokuba cheered, giving the older boy a hug. Joey continued to dance around the room, pumping his arms slowly in an attempt to be dramatic. He finally stopped in front of Yugi, kneeling to give the boy a high five.   
“In order to preserve my win percentage-” Duke snorted, rolling his eyes at Joey's bragging “I am going to officially retire from Mario Kart and let the next generation get its chance.”   
He finished, handing his controller to Tristan. He then turned to Mokuba, still grinning.   
“You think you can give me directions to the bathroom again Mokuba? I wasn't really paying attention before.” “Just go up the stairs, it's the 2nd door on the right.” “Thanks” Joey left the room, whistling. Tristan paused the game long enough to look at his watch. “If he's not back in 10 minutes, let's assume Kaiba got him and we need to send out a search team.” The rest of the gang laughed, settling in to watch the game, each subconsciously taking a glance at the clock themselves.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joey wandered upstairs, quickly finding the bathroom. Once he finished, he carefully dug through the medicine cabinet, looking for something to cover up the cuts on his leg. Being in the water had loosened up his bandages, and Joey cursed at himself for forgetting to bring more supplies. And for getting in the water in the first place, he usually wasn't that careless.   
Now he was bleeding, and unless he wanted to get blood all over Kaiba's house, he was going to need help. Grabbing some toilet paper, he used it to soak up the bleeding, taping it into place with the little bit of gauze he had left, hoping that would be enough until he found something stronger.  
He carefully peaked out the door, running over the rooms in his head. If his calculations were correct, Kaiba's office should be diagonal from him, a short walk that hopefully would give him what he needed. Taking a breath, Joey left the bathroom, walking quickly over to the other door. He tapped on it lightly, hoping that Kaiba would let him in.   
“What do you want mutt?”  
Kaiba's voice answered, ready to fight.   
“Hey Kaiba, do you have some gauze? I have a cut on my leg that won't stopped bleeding.”   
Kaiba marched over and yanked open the door, staring down at Joey in annoyance.   
“Did you happen to get it when you shoved me in my own pool?”   
He asked, and Joey sighed.   
“I got it at home the other day alright? I got on the wrong end of my dad's belt.”   
Kaiba winced, memories of his own father's belt still in his head.   
“Follow me.”   
He pushed in front of Joey, leading the blond down the hall. He stopped in front of one of the doors, opening it and allowing Joey inside. The shorter duelist stopped in amazement of what he saw.   
“Is this the bedroom of the great Seto Kaiba himself?”   
Joey pretended to gasp, smiling cheekily.   
“Shut up and sit on that chair and don't move.”   
Kaiba disappeared into the attached bathroom, and Joey took the opportunity to look around the room. It was empty and cold, all sharp lines and edges. The over sized bed was covered by a plain blue comforter, with white sheets. The walls were white, with no pictures anywhere.   
“Are you enjoying the view mutt? I'm sure you've never been anywhere so clean before.”   
Joey stared at him for a second, before dropping his head.   
“No, I haven't. I've never been anywhere so cold and empty before either.”   
Joey stared at his hands, no noticing when Kaiba dropped down next to him.   
“Where did he hit you?”   
Joey pulled up his pant leg, peeling off his make-shift bandage.   
“It was scabbing over, but I guess being in the pool made it start bleeding again.”   
Kaiba looked over the wound, frowning.   
“You should have gotten stitches Wheeler, this is a lot deeper than you think.”   
Kaiba carefully cleaned the wound, wrapping it with gauze as tightly as he could.   
“That should help it heal better.”   
“Thanks Kaiba, I appreciate it.”   
Joey inspected the bandage, nodding to himself.   
“You should get back to your friends, I'm sure they are wondering where you are.”   
Kaiba busied himself cleaning up the mess he had made, and Joey smiled.  
“You should come downstairs and hang out with us Kaiba. Mokuba would be over the moon.”   
Kaiba stopped, looking up at Joey as the blond started to leave the room.   
“Besides, it'll give you a chance to prove that you can actually beat Yugi in a game.”   
Kaiba frowned at that, watching as Joey disappeared. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He reentered the game room to find Tristan and Ryou in the middle of an intense game of Wii Golf. He settled in next to Mokuba, who was laughing at the two boys who were attempting to hit the ball more than 30 yards. Mokuba glanced over at his friend, giggling.   
“You made it! Tristan was going to start a search party for you if you weren't back soon.”   
“Yea kid, I can see he is really worried about me. I'm so lucky to have friends like him.”   
Joey dead-panned, looking over at his friends who were fighting over who got to play next. Mokuba grinned, looking over at the door to see his brother standing there.   
“Big brother! You came back! Do you want to play a game with me?”   
Mokuba jumped off the couch, running over to him.   
“The mutt told me there was a party going on in here, I thought I'd come to make sure everything was under control.”   
Kaiba crossed the room, settling in a chair next to where Joey was sitting. Mokuba smiled, dancing around in excitement.   
“Big brother, will you play a game with me?”  
Kaiba agreed, taking the controller from Tristan and waiting for his brother to pick what they would play. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A while later, everyone got ready to leave. They all enthusiastically thanked both the Kaiba brothers for letting them come over, promising Mokuba it wouldn't be a one time deal. Joey hung back for a second, pulling Kaiba aside to thank him for his help.   
Kaiba nodded once before handing Joey a card, telling him in low tones that next time something happened to call the number for his private doctor. Joey nodded, not sure what this change of heart was about, but glad that Kaiba was acting human for once.   
Mokuba watched out of the corner of his eye the exchange between the boys, wondering to himself. Once the group had left, he turned to Seto, giving him a hug.   
“Thanks Seto, that was a fun time.”  
Kaiba smiled at his little brother, feeling the shadows in his soul recede just a little bit.   
“I need to go back to work now Mokuba. You, on the other hand, need to pick up the mess your friends left in the game room.”   
Kaiba told him sternly, ruffling his brother's hair as he walked away. Mokuba smiled, happy that his brother was in such a good mood, bouncing off to clean up like his brother asked.   
Leaning up against the door, Kaiba sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but he had had a decent time with the geek squad. It was amazing how little they all ticked him off when they weren't worried about 'saving the world.' Speaking of which... he reached for his phone, dialing his private investigator.   
“It's me. I need everything you have on Joseph Wheeler, Jr. and Sr. I'm looking for hospital records in particular.”   
Kaiba snapped shut his phone, tapping it against his lips as he stared into the distance deep in thought.


	7. Chapter 7

Mokuba stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him. Memories started flooding back, of Pegasus and his goons hurting him. He reflexively leaned back, trying to avoid eye contact with the older man. Kaiba sat next to him, staring at the silver-haired man.

“What are you doing here Pegasus?”

He snarled, clenching his fists as he rose to confront the intruder.

“Is that any way to greet a guest Kaiba-boy?”

Pegasus smiled, settling into the seat at the table that Croquet had pulled out for him. Kaiba blinked at the security guard, having not even noticed that the man had come in in the first place. He glared at Roland, who shook his head slowly.

“I greet invited guests Pegasus, not ones who barge into my home and scare my little brother!”

Kaiba yelled, leaning over the table towards Pegasus. The billionaire laughed, tilting back his head as the giggles escaped him.

“I so love your sass Kaiba-boy, it fills me with joy.”

Mokuba's eyes went back and forth between the two CEO's, pulling his cell phone to text a quick SOS to Joey, hoping the blond would come save him.

“I'll show you sass Pegasus when I put your head through a wall!”

Kaiba slammed his fists down on the table, causing the drinks to almost fall over.

“I haven't seen my brother in days and now you are interrupting what little time I do have with him. Get out of my house before I throw you out.”

Pegasus leaned back in his chair, his calm demeanor showing in direct contrast to Kaiba's rage. Croquet stepped forward, ready to defend his master against the boy but Pegasus waved him off, motioning for the bodyguard to stand against the way.

“Not now Croquet. Actually, why don't you go out to the car and bring in the bottle of wine I brought? Kaiba-boy doesn't seem to know how to play host or he would have offered me a drink already.”

“Are you crazy Pegasus? You are not bringing wine into this house! You're not bringing anything into this house... you're not welcome here!”

Kaiba had had enough, ready to throw Pegasus out himself. Pegasus waved a finger, smiling at the Kaiba brothers.

“Actually I've come here to help you with your little... family issue.”

Mokuba looked up at Pegasus, not knowing where this was leading. Pegasus locked eyes with the younger brother, looking at him steadily. A long moment past, neither side was willing to give an inch. Finally, Croquet came back in, carrying a black bag with him.

Pegasus took it, pulling out a bottle and a glass. Croquet popped the cork, pouring his boss a drink before retreating back to the wall. Pegasus took a slip, swishing it around with a slight smile.

“Would you like a sip Kaiba-boy? You're old enough now that people are going to expect you to know how to enjoy a glass or two during a business deal.”

“I don't drink Pegasus.”

Kaiba growled, folding his arms. Pegasus nodded sagely.

“A wise decision, given that your boyfriend's father is an alcoholic. Wouldn't want to put ideas into dear Joseph's head right?” “How did you even know about that?”

Pegasus smiled, pulling a stack of files out of his briefcase.

“Let's just say I did my research. I know quite a bit about all of your friends, plus you and Mokuba. Some of it is more interesting than most.”

Kaiba was across the table, reaching for Pegasus's throat before Croquet was able to grab his boss and push him out of the way, sending the files up in the air and all over the floor. Mokuba didn't wait, he took off from the room, as fast as he could. The faint sounds of Pegasus pouting about the mess accompanied him as he left.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

_So much pain..Mokuba's whole body hurt from his fall out of Pegasus's tower earlier that day. He had been right there, Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Tea were willing to help him find his big brother, but that man had grabbed him._

_Mokuba counted his bruises, trying to ignore the finger prints on his wrists from where he was grabbed by Pegasus's guards. He closed his eyes, imagining that he was standing on the beach with the other four._

“ _I guess I'm not made to have friends... Seto's right the only person's who's there for me is him.”_

“ _Oh little Mokuba, that's not true, I would be your friend if you want me too. All you have to do is ask and you shall receive.”_

_Pegasus's form filled the door, making Mokuba shrink back a little. He didn't know how to deal with the inventor of Duel Monster's. On the one hand the man had kid-napped him, separating him from his big brother and taking over their company._

_On the other... the older man spent a lot of time with Mokuba, talking to him about school and his friends and cartoons they both liked. He also had the chefs cook Mokuba anything he wanted, and supplied the young boy with games enough to keep him entertained. However, there was that kid-napped thing again, and at the end of the day that meant the most._

“ _I'd rather have no friends than to have someone like you as a friend.”_

_Mokuba snapped, turning his back on the older man. Pegasus sighed, looking over at the young boy while shaking his head slowly._

“ _All right then Mokuba, I guess you give me no choice.”_

_He snapped his fingers, and his guards burst in, grabbing Mokuba and dragging him out of the room while Pegasus watched._

 

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 

Joey sat in the back of Ryou's car, counting the seconds before they would make it to the mansion. He had been at Ryou's house for dinner, the pale boy insisting that he come over to hang out for a bit. Joey still wasn't sure about seeing Bakura, but the crazy Egyptian barely spoke a word, instead staring at Joey whenever he though he could get away from it. 

Joey had finally pulled Ryou aside to ask him what Bakura's deal with, only to find out that he had threatened Kaiba because of the fight Kaiba had had with Joey. Ryou confessed that the dinner had been Bakura's idea, he had demanded that the blond come over so he could check him out for more injuries. 

“Turn right here Ryou, Kaiba's place is right after this bend.” 

Joey said, checking his watch again. 

“10 minutes, hopefully everyone is alright.” 

He muttered to himself. Bakura looked back at the blond quickly, flicking at the knife he held at his side. 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Mokuba sat out in the hall, his arms wrapped around his knees. He was trying to not have a panic attack, trying to breath in and out like his therapist had told him too. The man who abused him, who had hurt him was in his house, sitting at his table as if nothing had happened, sipping wine and playing games. 

“Mokuba!” 

Joey shouted, interrupting his thoughts. The blond was sitting next to him, wrapping his arms around Mokuba while Ryou and Bakura stood near-by. Mokuba looked over at Bakura, stiffening up as he remembered the time that Bakura had kidnapped him also. 

“Mokuba, don't go there. Bakura's only here to help. Remember what we talked about before.” 

Joey whispered, trying to get the younger boy to calm down. Mokuba closed his eyes, leaning his head against Joey's chest. The blond sat there, allowing Mokuba to cry into his shirt. Ryou sat down next to Joey, and Bakura sat next to his hikari, still feeling his knife. 

“Can you tell me what happened Mokuba? Why is Pegasus here in the first place?” 

Joey asked, rubbing the boys shoulders. 

“He said he wants to help with our 'family issues.' He knows stuff about us. He's been researching our lives and our families lives to play some sort of game with all of us. I don't want him here Joey. Make him leave please.” 

Joey nodded, sliding out from underneath Mokuba. 

“I'll be right back, stay here with Ryou and Bakura.” 

Mokuba nodded, allowing Ryou to wrap his arm around his shoulders. Joey took a breath, walking into the dining room with a purpose. All the heads looked at him, Pegasus smiling knowingly as if he was expecting the blond to be there. Kaiba looked over at his boyfriend, still steamed at Pegasus's avoidance of his questions. 

“What do you want Wheeler? I'm trying to deal with a very annoying problem right now I don't have time for you.” 

Joey ignored Kaiba, instead marching up to Pegasus and folding his arms. 

“I'm assuming you're here because you know the things Mokuba has been saying about you in his therapy sessions. Are you going to defend yourself or are you trying to get him to not say things anymore?” 

Pegasus blinked once, slowly smiling at the irate blond in front of him. 

“I appreciate your candor Joseph, perhaps you would like a seat?” 

Pegasus motioned to the chair next to him, which Joey sat in, folding his arms and staring at the CEO. Pegasus turned his chair, completely ignoring Kaiba to set his sights on Joey. 

“Your attitude is most refreshing Joseph. I believe Kaiba-boy could learn a thing or two from playing with you.” 

Kaiba snorted at that, causing Joey to role his eyes at the brunet. 

“Now, I am here because of Mokuba's therapy sessions, but not the reason you may think. I've heard some of the things that Mokuba has accused me of, and I'm afraid they are simply not true.” 

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, and he addressed Joey stiffly. 

“What is he accusing Pegasus of?” 

Joey shook his head, unsure of things himself. 

“Mokuba hasn't given me the details of what he talks about, I just know that Pegasus is one of the many topics.” 

Pegasus shook his head, sighing. 

“Kaiba-boy, I'd be glad to talk about things but I'm afraid you might over-react before I have the chance to explain things.” 

Croquet chose that moment to step away from the wall, stepping behind his boss casually while staring intently at the younger CEO. 

“Croquet, if you try to put a bullet in our host I will be very disappointed in you.” 

Pegasus shook his head at his body guard, ignoring Kaiba and Joey's looks of surprise at his words. Croquet nodded, brushing his hand against his hip while staring unblinking at Kaiba. Roland stood next to his own boss, doing the same at Pegasus. The silver-haired man frowned even more. 

“If there is one thing I can't stand it's bad form. I may have done many bad things in my life, but I always did them with grace and charm.” 

Joey rolled his eyes, wondering if Pegasus actually believed what he said. 

“If I have your word, I will discuss some of the things I've come to learn with both of you. However, I want to know that you won't attack me until I'm done.” 

Kaiba growled, rolling his eyes before agreeing. Joey did too, knowing that Pegasus had placed him on this side of the table to help block Kaiba. Pegasus took a breath, before turning and looking straight at Kaiba. 

“I know you don't believe in the power of the Millennium items Kaiba-boy, but I know just as well that young Joseph here does. He has seen their incredible power himself, has seen his friends brought down by the strength they give a mad-man, and watched the world shake under their incredible power.” 

Joey found himself nodding, remembering things that had happened in his lifetime. 

“I was one of the ones who was affected by it's power, someone who was given the item and allowed his judgment to disappear under it's allure of power. All I wanted was my wife back, and the eye promised me the power to do so.” 

Kaiba rolled his eyes, unable to bear Pegasus's long winded stories. 

“Along the way, I took control of Kaiba Corp, putting your brother under my control. All I wanted was to use your technology to bring back my wife, and I ended up destroying so much. When I sent you and Mokuba to the Shadow Realm, I had no idea what was going to happen to you. Mokuba... had nightmares during his stay there, and they have bled into his life. He thinks I did things to him, awful things that even at my lowest I wouldn't do to a child. I have come to plead my case to him, to clear my name and hopefully bring your brother some peace.” 

Kaiba's eyes darkened, looking over at the man as he realized what Pegasus was saying. 

“I can prove it. You see, Mokuba believes I branded him when he escaped from my tower, which is not true. He claims there is a mark on his right hip, but he never allowed the therapist to see it. Have you?” 

He questioned the two boys, both of whom shook their heads. 

“I believe if we talk to Mokuba we can clear this up and he can start his healing process.” 

Kaiba clenched his fists, shaking in rage. 

“Get out. You contact me or my brother again and I'll go to the cops.” 

Pegasus nodded, looking at Croquet. He picked up his wine, nodding to Joey. 

“I'll leave this with you so you can go over it. Please call when you're ready to talk.” 

Pegasus left, making sure to go through a different door than Mokuba had before. Kaiba and Joey sat there staring at each other for a minute before Kaiba stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. 

Joey sighed to himself, leaving to go attend to Mokuba. The three boys were still laying in the hallway, not speaking to each other at all. Joey smiled reassuringly at his friends, reaching down to ruffle Mokuba's hair. 

“Don't worry Mok he's gone. Your brother is going to make sure he can never hurt you again. How about you go get ready for bed?” 

Joey suggested, trying to smile at the kid. 

“Will you stay here tonight Joey? I need you here.” 

Joey nodded before pointing up the stairs. 

“I'll be up in a minute, you go up first.” 

Mokuba nodded before dashing up the stairs. Joey watched him go before turning towards Bakura with a question. 

“Pegasus claims that the memories Mokuba is having are delusions brought on by the Millenium eye's power. Is there any truth to that?” 

“It's possible. Mai hallucinated while she was under the Rods power, as did Ryou. There are powers that I didn't even know about that the items held.” 

Joey sighed, feeling exhausted. He bid good night to the two boys, escorting them outside before runnign up the stairs himself. By the time he was ready for bed, Mokuba was asleep, curled up in a ball. Joey stared at the boy for a minute, wondering if he should dare. 

Mokuba had told him about the branding, begging him not to tell Kaiba. Now, he wondered if Pegasus could be right. Carefully, he peeled away the covers, pulling up Mokuba's shirt and gently rubbing the un-marred skin on his right hip. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

The weekend past quickly, and before anyone knew it, Monday was here and the whole gang was back in school. Yugi and Yami had spent most of their time with Bakura and Ryou, discussing the incident that had happened at the Kaiba Mansion.   
Joey and Mokuba had holed up in the Mansion all weekend while Kaiba worked, not answering any texts or phone calls. Tristan had tried to get in, but security had barred him before he even made it to the fence. He had sulked outside for several minutes before taking off, appearing at Kaiba Corp where he managed to talk his way into Kaiba's office. The CEO assured him that his friend was fine, just unavailable. Tristan left, still annoyed but not knowing what else to do. He spent the rest of the weekend at Dukes, pouting at his boyfriend about his best friend.   
Tea was no help, not knowing what else to do but offer her support to whoever needed it. She was at the Game Shop, sitting down and eating breakfast before school with her friends.   
“Your grandpa sure makes good food Yugi, I wish I could move in here!”   
Tea stated, sipping at her tea.   
“Well, he's used to making big meals ever since I started hanging out with Joey, and he's always enjoyed cooking.”   
Yugi chuckled, smiling. Yami looked over at his lighter half, sighing.   
“Speaking of which, where is Joey? He's always here for breakfast on Monday's before school. Do you guys have any idea where he is?”   
Yugi and Tea both shook their heads, looking over at the door. The blond was running late, which on any other day would be normal, but today was worrying all of them. The three finished their breakfast silently, cleaning up and thanking Yugi's grandpa before Yugi and Tea went off to school.   
They were met on their way by Tristan and Duke, who were bitching to each other on the sidewalk. The two shut up as their friends approached, and the four began the long walk to school.   
“So where is Joey anyway?”   
Duke asked casually, noting the blond was not in their group.   
“We didn't hear from him all weekend, I don't even know if he's going to be in school today.”   
Yugi said sadly, looking down at his phone, hoping that his friend had messaged him.   
“I wonder how Mokuba is doing, Ryou said he was complete devastated that Pegasus was at his house. That one-eyed freak needs to find a hobby besides tormenting kids.”   
Tea stated, wrapping an arm protectively around Yugi's shoulders.   
“I'm not worried about him, between Joey and Kaiba I'm sure that Mokuba is fine. Joey will take care of anything that happens.”   
Yugi said, smiling at his brunette friend. The four continued their walk in silence, pondering the events of the past week. When they finally reached school, Ryou and Bakura were waiting for them at the gate.   
“Hey guys.”   
Ryou said weakly, waving at his friends.   
“Where's the pharaoh, he think he's too good for an education?”   
Bakura taunted, looking over at the group.   
“He's skipping today, he wanted to do some research on the items at the museum. He's really concerned about Pegasus using magic to manipulate people.”   
Bakura frowned, annoyed that he got stuck at school while Yami got to gallivant around town. Ryou noticed the look on his darker halves face, and decided to head off the yelling.   
“Come on Yugi, let's go inside schools about to start.”   
Ryou suggested, grabbing Bakura by the arm and dragging him through the gates. Joey wasn't in homeroom, and a worried Yugi pulled out his phone to quickly text his friend. No response yet again, and now Yugi was super concerned.   
Kaiba was absent, so they couldn't ask him, and Yugi was out of options until school was over and he could get over to the mansion. The day crawled by, and Yugi was standing outside waiting for his friend. There were no answers to his messages on his phone, and Yugi knew he would have to go hunt Joey down with the gang's help.   
“Hey Yug, did you get an answer from Joey?”   
Tristan yelled, jogging across the courtyard towards his friend.   
“Nothing. I'm thinking we should go over to the Game Shop and get Yami then go over to Kaiba's. This is getting crazy, he needs to be in school.”   
Yugi said firmly, waving at the rest of his friends who had appeared in the courtyard. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Joey paced the floor of the Game Shop, glancing over at the clock. Mokuba was sitting in the corner, arms wrapped around his legs as he watched Joey.   
“Joseph, you need to sit down. All you're doing is wearing yourself out.”   
Solomon said, getting tired from watching the blond walk around in circles.   
“I know Gramps, but I'm just nervous. This is getting out of control and I don't know what else to do about it.”   
Joey sighed, sinking down next to Mokuba and wrapping an arm around him. Mokuba stared at the floor, not wanting to interrupt the conversation. Tears were welding in his eyes, and he attempted to blink them back, not wanting his bad memories to resurface.   
The two boys sat in silence as a customer came in, buying a few packs of Duel Monster cards before quickly leaving. Joey glanced over at the clock, knowing that school would be out shortly. His only hope was that his friends would be glad to help out. He nudged Mokuba, trying to keep his spirits up. Mokuba ignored his brother's boyfriend, staring at his hands.   
Minutes passed by, and finally the bell rang again. This time it was Yami, coming back from the museum. He frowned when he saw the two boys in the corner, walking over to them.   
“Did you guys go to school today?”   
He asked, his deep baritone startling Mokuba. Joey shook his head, attempting a smile as he punched Mokuba in the shoulder.   
“We played hooky. Caused some shenanigans, ruffled up the staff a little, then came here. We've got somethings we need to discuss with everyone.”   
Yami nodded, looking over the two boys carefully.   
“How about we go inside and make some tea while we wait?”   
Yami suggested, looking over at Solomon who nodded his approval. The three boys went inside, setting out tea and snacks and getting into polite chit-chat. Finally, the rest of the gang showed up, Yugi running into the kitchen and wrapping his arms around Joey.   
“I've been trying to text you all day! Why weren't you in school? What happened to you guys this weekend.”   
Yugi asked, his excitement at seeing his friend making his words come out in a jumble. Joey smiled, ruffling Yugi's hair.   
“Sorry Yug, we had a really rough weekend, and I need to talk to you guys about a few things. How about I make some more tea, and you guys can sit down and relax while we talk.”   
Mokuba and Yami helped, and once everyone was settled Joey stood up again. He sat on the counter, looking over his friends carefully.   
“So, here's the deal. Mokuba and I had an emergency meeting with his therapist after Pegasus came over on Friday, and he wants some more information. He asked if all of us could come for a couple of sessions to talk about the things we've been through as a group.”   
The friends all looked at each other before looking over at Mokuba, who was shrinking into his seat to avoid eye contact.   
“What kind of sessions are we talking about here? Just stuff about Mokuba or is he going to try to shrink all of us?”   
Duke asked, smirking a little.   
“Well if you think about it, we have been through a lot. Multiple kidnappings, soul stealing, people manipulating our friendships for their own selfish reasons... maybe a little bit of therapy would be good for all of us.”   
Yugi suggested, standing up and wrapping an arm around Mokuba.   
“I'm willing to try this if it's going to help Mokuba. Maybe it will help all of us in some way.”   
Bakura rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath that no shrink would be able to deal with the things that he had been through. Ryou elbowed him, shaking his head at the darker half before nodding his head in agreement that he would go.   
“Personally, I don't disagree with Bakura. I think having two spirits in therapy is only going to complicate matters for everyone. I don't really know how to explain things in a way that the man won't have us all committed.”   
Tristan stated, looking around the room for his friends agreement. No one could argue that point, after all they could barely wrap their heads around it either.   
“So, are you guys saying that you'll help us out by going to therapy?”   
Joey asked hopefully, smiling encouragingly at Mokuba as his friends all nodded.   
“When do we need to start?”   
Yugi asked, still standing next to the raven haired boy. Joey pulled cards out of his pocket, handing one to each of them.   
“His therapist suggested that you guys all call and set up your own appointments. Kaiba's going to pay for all of it, so don't worry about a thing.”   
Each of them picked up a card, looking them over for a few minutes in silence as they contemplated the things they would be talking about. 

A/N: The next few chapters might feel a little choppy as they are dealing with various therapy sessions-just a heads up.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Child abuse, or an kind of abuse is not to be taken lightly. If you suspect abuse, or need help, find the number for your local reporting bureau here: https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspList&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=5 Anybody can report abuse, and one phone call can help a child escape a lifetime of pain.


End file.
